Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Sends 5th Bus of Illegal Immigrants to Los Angeles

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, on June 8, 2023. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Another bus carrying illegal immigrants arrived on July 22 in downtown Los Angeles from Texas, the fifth such group since June 14, according to Mayor Karen Bass’s office.

The bus from Brownsville, Texas, is part of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s effort to send illegal immigrants to cities, especially New York and Washington, that have claimed to be sanctuaries for illegal immigration, ABC7 reported.

“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,” the mayor’s office said in the July 22 statement. “As we have before, when we became aware of the bus yesterday, we activated our plan.”

The bus carried 44 people from Mexico, Colombia, China, Haiti, Honduras, Peru, and Venezuela. There were 14 children among them, ranging in age between 2 and 14.

The illegal immigrants were sent to Cathedral High School in the Chinatown neighborhood after arriving in Los Angeles, where they were given medical tests, food, and access to resources. Most of them were reunited with family members, and many have already filed for asylum, ABC7 reported.

An organization helping the illegal immigrants, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), criticized Mr. Abbott for “dehumanizing” the people sent there as part of efforts known as Operation Lone Star.

Another bus from Texas had arrived in Los Angeles on July 18. An organization that also helps illegal immigrants in Los Angeles, called “L.A. Welcome Collective,” includes the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Central American Resource Center–Los Angeles, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Esperanza Immigration Rights Project, and Immigrant Defenders Law Center.

That group issued a statement on July 19.

“The L.A. Welcomes Collective reiterates our commitment to work hand in hand with our City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles partners to receive and guide asylum seekers when they arrive,” it 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, regardless of immigration status.”

Operation Lone Star

In May, Mr. Abbott stepped up Texas’s border security measures with the tactical deployment of hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers to join the thousands already deployed as part of Operation Lone Star. The deployment serves as a response to the ending of Title 42, a policy enacted by then-President Donald Trump that curbed illegal immigration during the pandemic.

According to Mr. Abbott’s office, the governor has secured $4 billion for border security. He also has designated Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations amid the growing national fentanyl crisis and signed a law that increased penalties for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl.

Illegal immigrants wait to be taken by Border Patrol to a processing facility to begin their asylum-seeking process in Eagle Pass, Texas, on June 25, 2023. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

Mr. Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for the border crisis, along with an executive order authorizing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to return illegal immigrants to the border at ports of entry.

Texas lawmakers have approved 15 laws cracking down on human trafficking, a criminal activity related to the open borders policy.

“Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 394,200 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 31,300 criminal arrests, with more than 29,100 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 422 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission,” the governor’s office said.

Texas has bused more than 27,000 illegal immigrants to Washington, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, and Los Angeles since April 2022.

Floating Barrier Sparks Backlash

Texas has also put a floating barrier in the Rio Grande to deter illegal crossings near Eagle Pass.

The move triggered a strong reaction from the Biden administration. The Justice Department warned officials in Texas that the federal government will sue the state unless it removes the barrier.

People rest on an island while attempting to cross the Rio Grande into the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 18, 2023. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Responding on Twitter, Mr. Abbott emphasized that Texas has the sovereign authority to defend the Texas–Mexico border.

“The tragic humanitarian crisis on the border was created because of Biden’s refusal to secure the border,” Mr. Abbott said. “We will continue to deploy every strategy to protect Texas and Americans—and the migrants risking their lives. We will see you in court, Mr. President.”

In a July 21 statement, the governor’s office said there are no directions or orders under Operation Lone Star that would compromise the lives of those attempting to cross the border illegally.

“The Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Military Department continue taking steps to monitor migrants in distress, provide appropriate medical attention when needed, and encourage them to use one of the 29 international bridges along the Texas-Mexico Border where they can safely and legally cross.

“With migrants from over 150 countries encouraged by open border policies to risk their lives and make this dangerous trek to enter our country illegally, Texas is deploying every tool and strategy to deter and repel illegal crossings between ports of entry,” according to the statement.

Mexico’s Political Response

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador urged Mexican Americans not to vote for Mr. Abbott, in response to Texas putting the barrier in the Rio Grande.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador gestures during an event at the Zocalo square to mark the fifth anniversary of his election victory, in Mexico City on July 1, 2023. Henry Romero/Reuters

Mexico’s incoming foreign minister, Alicia Barcena, said the barrier violates a water treaty and may intrude on Mexican territory.

“We don’t have to do much, just tell our compatriots not to vote for the governor of Texas or for lawmakers of the Republican Party who support these measures,” López Obrador said in a news conference when asked about the Texas initiative.

Barcena said Mexico sent a diplomatic letter to the United States in June about the issue as she explained her government is dispatching a mission to inspect where the buoys are located.

Reuters contributed to this report.