Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, has been bussing migrants from his state to cities run by the Democratic Party including Washington DC, New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia since April 2022. Over 9,200 people have been sent to Washington DC alone. On Thursday evening, around 30 migrants were filmed disembarking from buses parked outside the Naval Observatory, where Vice President Kamala Harris lives. On Wednesday, a bus carrying 40 migrants also arrived at her home. This is the second time busloads of migrants have been dispatched to her home.

Over the last 24 hours, around 70 migrants were dropped off outside Kamala Harris’s home in Washington DC. The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has sent over 17,000 migrants from Texas to Democrat-run cities, including New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and DC since April 2022. DC’s temporary lodging program is now at capacity, and New York City is struggling to house their new arrivals.

The pressure on the system comes as the pandemic-era border restrictions, Title 42, are lifted, with the Biden administration arguing that all pandemic-era policies should be lifted. Under Title 42, migrants could be immediately expelled back to Mexico or their home country. The Biden administration has faced criticism for the scenes at the border, as thousands of migrants gather in the hope of entering the US now the restrictions have ended.

Mayorkas and the Biden administration have warned migrants not to believe the lies of smugglers, insisting that the border is not open and that people who arrive at the border without using a lawful pathway will be presumed ineligible for asylum. They have unveiled strict new measures to replace Title 42, which crack down on illegal crossings while also setting up legal pathways for migrants who apply.

May 9th, 2023