Fed up with federal releases of large numbers of migrants into overwhelmed small towns in his state (including Uvalde), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) began offering migrants free bus trips to DC.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) followed suit, creating what even Vanity Fair has termed, “A Migrant Crisis in Washington.”
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) reaffirmed her town’s status as an immigrant “sanctuary city” after Donald Trump’s 2016 election. However, in 2022, she called Abbott’s efforts “cruel political gamesmanship” creating a “humanitarian crisis.”
She also claimed the crisis “must be dealt with at the federal level” in a letter to the Department of Defense she sought National Guard support (rejected by the DOD).
Last year Bowser was complaining about approximately 4,000 migrants who arrived over three months into her city of more than 707,000.
In March 2022, by comparison, DHS was dropping off up to 150 migrants per day in Uvalde, population 15,312, or roughly one migrant for every 102 residents daily.
Abbott’s strategy gets attention
A 2023 increase in migrant arrivals has prompted Abbott to intensify his strategy, recently sending planeloads of migrants to Chicago and New York. The move not only challenges regulations on migrant transportation but also puts additional strain on cities already grappling with the influx.
