Texas Ships Fifth Bus of Migrants to Downtown LA

For the fifth time this summer, a bus full of migrants was sent from the Texas border to Los Angeles, in a move that has been widely condemned by immigration activists. 

The bus, which originated in Brownsville, Texas, had 44 migrants on board, including 14 children. Many of these migrants, who come from Latin America and China, had already established asylum cases with the United States government, according to KABC. 

The Los Angeles mayor’s office released a statement assuring people that they had a plan to assist the migrants now that they’re in California.

“The City has continued to work with City Departments, the County, and a coalition of nonprofit organizations, in addition to our faith partners, to execute a plan set in place earlier this year. As we have before, when we became aware of the bus yesterday, we activated our plan,” the mayor’s office said. 

The practice of bussing migrants from conservative border states to progressive cities with sanctuary policies has been the subject of widespread controversy. 

The practice began after an influx of migrants began crossing the southern border following the expiration of Title 42. This was a pandemic-era policy that dramatically limited the number of people who were admitted into the country.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said, in the past, that the decision to send migrants to Los Angeles is a necessary one. 

"Texas' small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Biden's refusal to secure the border," Abbott said in a June 16 statement. 

“Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status.”

The migrants were taken to a Catholic high school in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, where they received medical evaluations and were given access to any necessary resources, according to KABC. 

The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles released a statement welcoming the migrants and reiterating their support for the city’s efforts to assist immigrants. 

“We are honored to take part in the LA Welcomes Collective and the vital work being undertaken by each of our partner organizations,” the statement said. 

“As a united front, we hope to serve as a beacon of hope to those seeking safe harbor as well as advocate for every human being to be treated with dignity and respect.”