Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a formal invitation Monday to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to visit the southern border to better understand the illegal immigrant crisis his state is facing.
The invitations came in the form of a letter after both Adams and Bowser criticized Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey for busing migrants to Washington.
At a July 21 news conference, Adams called Abbott and Ducey “cowards” for launching the program.
“They should never send them away,” the mayor said.
New York City has provided temporary shelter to approximately 3,000 migrants, Adams said at the news conference. He also noted that he had asked the federal government for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance in the ongoing task.
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Last week, Bowser requested the federal government activate the National Guard to assist with the “humanitarian crisis” caused by the influx of 4,000 migrants being bused into the city since April, when Abbott launched his busing program.
During a July 17 “Face the Nation” interview on CBS, Bowser accused Texas and Arizona officials of tricking migrants to get on buses to the District of Columbia.
“We have for sure called on the federal government to work across state lines to prevent people from really being tricked into getting on buses,” Bowser said.
Would a trip to the border enlighten Democrats like Adams and Bowser?
The mayor told host Margaret Brennan that she had worked with the Biden administration to secure a FEMA grant for a “local organization” assisting the migrants.
To give some perspective, over 200,000 migrants have crossed the southwest border per month since March, according to Customs and Border Protection. The crossings have primarily into Texas, Arizona, and California.
In February of 2021, the Biden administration’s first full month in office, it was less than 100,000, according to a Reuters report from March 2021. In May, the number peaked at almost 250,000, according to CBP.
Under the Biden administration’s border enforcement policies, the United States has experienced a record surge of migrants crossing illegally into the country.
So far, for the 2022 fiscal year, there have been 1,746,119 encounters at the southwest border as of June 30, which has already surpassed the entire fiscal year 2021 record number of 1,734,686, according to the CBP.
In April, Abbott launched a voluntary busing program for migrants wanting to go to D,C. Ducey followed suit the next month.
The governors’ objective was to put the issue of the Biden administration’s lax immigration enforcement policies on the federal government’s doorstep.
In his Monday letter to Adams and Bowser, Abbott wrote, “As law enforcement agents along the Texas-Mexico border respond to thousands of illegal crossings each and every day, putting their lives on the line for Texans and for all Americans, the crisis demands the attention of not only the Biden Administration, which is responsible for securing the border, but of leaders across the country …
“Your recent interest in this historic and preventable crisis is a welcome development—especially as the President and his Administration have shown no remorse for their actions nor desire to address the situation themselves.
“As Governor, I invite you to visit our border region to see firsthand the dire situation that only grows more urgent with each passing day, and to meet with the local officials, who like yourselves, realize this matter deserves immediate federal action.”
Abbott requested the mayors join him in calling on Biden to close the border and thereby put an end to the crisis.
I am inviting @NYCMayor & @MayorBowser to Texas’ southern border to see firsthand the humanitarian crisis caused by Pres. Biden’s open border policies.
This crisis demands the attention of not only the Biden Administration, but of leaders across the US. https://t.co/riEj6FYsF3
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) August 1, 2022
Last week, Abbott addressed Bowser’s request for National Guard assistance, saying in a statement, “Washington D.C. finally understands what Texans have been dealing with every single day, as our communities are overrun and overwhelmed by thousands of illegal immigrants thanks to President Biden’s open border policies.”
NEW: TX Gov. Greg Abbott’s office responds to D.C. mayor’s request for National Guard assistance w/ migrants.
“Washington D.C. finally understands what Texans have been dealing with every single day, as our communities are overrun by thousands of illegal immigrants.” @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/KGB0Qz98W4
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 28, 2022
“The true ongoing humanitarian crisis is along the southern border,” he added.
