Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to bus migrants to sanctuary cities and states predominantly governed by Democrats has put him in the spotlight in discussions surrounding the migrant crisis affecting millions of Americans. This tactic has been a component of Operation Lone Star, which was started more than three years ago, and the most controversial part turned out to be the migrant relocation. Abbott’s actions have disrupted almost every city chosen for these moves.
The contentious Operation Lone Star program consists of many steps meant to secure the border and stop thousands of migrants from entering the country through Texas. Over 105,000 migrants have been moved out of Texas in the last more than two years, according to governor’s office statistics. Texas Governor Abbott argues that in the lack of adequate federal assistance, Texas has a constitutional right to protect its borders. While some who support strict border security continue to back Abbott as this operation proceeds with the help of other Republican-led states, he is also under fire for making the migrant issue worse.
The data indicates that Abbott specifically targeted three cities the most—New York City, Chicago, and Denver—for migrant relocation, with figures reaching 39,600, 32,500, and 16,900 respectively. With a sudden increase in migrants draining their finances, upsetting services, and posing questions about public safety, many communities are now facing financial difficulties. At the beginning of last week, New York City began implementing rules into place to limit how long people might stay in migrant shelters. Local officials in Denver, in the meantime, are addressing community frustration as migrants oppose city policies, suggesting a growing impact in areas with significant migrant populations.
Texas Gov. Abbott says he will continue to bus migrants
A few days ago, while speaking at a National Rifle Association event in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas pledged to continue sending migrants to New York City and leveled criticism at Mayor Eric Adams.
“Unless and until Joe Biden does finally begin to enforce immigration laws I will continue to bus those migrants to sanctuary cities across the United States of America,” Abbott said to loud cheers while delivering remarks at the 2024 National Rifle Association convention in Dallas. “Buncha hypocrites,” he added. A woman in the crowd yelled at him to send the migrants to New York, to which he responded, “oh, they’re going to New York — trust me.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Adams called Abbott “a coward” for his bussing program after Abbott’s comments that “Mayor Adams needs something to do.”
“Governor Abbott is a coward who uses human beings as political pawns, and has done nothing while murder rates in Texas have skyrocketed under his lack of leadership,” the spokesperson told the New York Post in a statement. “If anyone ‘needs something to do,’ it’s him,” they added. Adams’ administration has provided “compassion and care” to more than 197,000 migrants since the spring of 2022, his office noted.
A lawsuit that didn’t change Abbott’s mind
In an unexpected move to end Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s practice of busing asylum seekers to New York City, Mayor Eric Adams filed a lawsuit in January against 17 charter bus operators that Texas had contracted with. He is suing these corporations for the hundreds of millions of dollars the city has spent for housing these migrants and providing all the basic needs for them. At least one of the companies involved had committed to temporarily cease operations by April. The lawsuit asks $708 million to be paid by these companies for the expenses New York City has spent for food, housing, and medical treatment. Mayor Adams said in January that by not covering the costs of the migrants’ treatment, these corporations had broken state law.
