Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) is keeping his promise to send migrants to sanctuary cities where leaders tout that the needs of migrants will be met. According to Breitbart, a bus brought 44 migrants from the Texas border to the sanctuary city of Los Angeles on Saturday. On the same day the 44 migrants arrived in Los Angeles, 700 migrants entered south Texas in addition to the 941 that entered the Lone Star state from the day before.
The executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Angelica Salas, criticized Abbott for sending volunteer migrants on air-conditioned buses to a place that has declared it could help them. Salas called Abbott’s move “criminal,” saying that sending migrants at their own will to a sanctuary city is “dehumanizing” for the migrants and refugees. Salas added that Abbott should be reminded that “every life is precious and protected under the United Nation’s Human Rights Charter.” Salas further critiqued ‘Operation Lone Star’ as a “questionable initiative fueled by xenophobia and void of human decency,” while seemingly echoing the outrage over the arrival of migrants seeking asylum in Los Angeles.
Breitbart Texas reported that Abbott did not choose to send the asylum seekers to Los Angeles until the city declared itself a sanctuary in June. Abbott stated, “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.”
Abbott justified sending the refugees to a place where they could be helped because the resources in Texas are being strained due to an overwhelming number of migrants crossing the border. Abbott stated that “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.” If a city, such as Los Angeles announces that they have the room, resources, and will to help migrants, then Abbott, who can use the help assisting them, will take the cities up on their promise.