The governor of Texas is tired of the bulk of illegal immigrants and intends to send them to the US capital

Texas will send illegal immigrants to Washington, D.C. by bus or plane. This was stated in the office of state governor Greg Abbott, noting that local leaders in the state are fed up with the fact that the federal government is releasing illegal immigrants into the state's communities. Read more about this publication CNN.

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Abbott told reporters that the plan is in response to a recent announcement from the administration of US President Joe Biden that it will lift a pandemic public health order next month. This decision will significantly increase the number of migrants crossing the border. The order, known as Section 42, effectively blocked most immigrants and refugees from entering the US for more than two years.

The 45th President Donald Trump issued an executive order at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. His administration said the document was intended to help prevent the virus from spreading across the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada, but public health officials at the time suspected political motives.

The Biden administration announced last week that the executive order would expire on May 23. It has garnered cheers from civil rights groups and many Democrats, but has also sparked a fierce outcry from Republicans and some moderate Democrats who say the administration doesn't have enough of a plan to deal with a surge of immigrants at the border.

Abbott said the plan to move immigrants out of Texas is just one of the steps he intends to take.

Abbott instructed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to order buses and flights that would send willing immigrants to Washington, processed at the border and released to the US at the federal level.

“To help local officials whose communities are overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are backed by the administration, Texas is providing charter buses to send these illegal immigrants to Washington, DC,” Abbott said.

On the subject: The White House is giving away free smartphones to illegal immigrants to keep them connected

Opponents criticized the announcement as a political stunt and said the governor just wants re-election.

"He's wasting taxpayer dollars on campaign tactics to demonize immigrants," the Texas Civil Rights Project tweeted.

Any immigrant "must voluntarily participate in transportation and show documentation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)" to board a bus or plane, the governor's office said.

Abbott emphasized that only immigrants who volunteer to go to Washington will be sent there, otherwise it "would be a kidnapping, even if it was done by a law enforcement agency."

“What better place for them than the steps of the United States Capitol? Abbott asked. “They will see the beautiful Capitol and get closer to the people who have policies that allow people to cross the border illegally.”

Typically, migrants released from federal custody after crossing the border are processed and given paperwork that allows them to remain temporarily in the country but requires them to appear in immigration court to hear their case. Many seek asylum.

They are often released in Texas and other border states and then continue their journey to other parts of the country.

Abbott has been openly critical of President Joe Biden, attributing the surge in migrants to his immigration policies, although there have been spikes during the Trump administration.

Buses are getting ready

The state has assembled nearly 900 buses for the operation, according to Texas Emergency Management Department (TDEM) chief Neem Kidd.

The first of these are already being inspected and loaded with prepared food and water, TDEM said, but did not confirm the number of vehicles being inspected or their location.

According to the agency, mayors and district judges can request buses to transport migrants to Washington, DC.

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However, TDEM did not say if any cities or municipalities requested buses.

According to the agency, the bus trips (if they actually take place) will be kindly provided by Texas taxpayers with funds allocated by the Texas Legislature for Border Security.

What happens after Section 42 ends

When Section 42 ends, the federal government predicts up to 18 illegal immigrants will cross the border daily, Abbott said, a worst-case scenario.

"Every month, that's more than half a million illegal immigrants from over 150 countries around the world," the governor said. “This is far beyond what the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Johnson, called a crisis. This is unprecedented and dangerous."

Last month, the head of the US Border Patrol announced its readiness to detain about 8000 people a day this spring. Deteriorating conditions in Latin America, exacerbated by the pandemic, are one of the reasons for migration.

Abbott also signed what he called a "zero tolerance policy" for unsafe vehicles used to smuggle migrants across the border and said the rule would be implemented immediately.

The governor claims the policy is a by-product of cartels crossing the border and noted that there may be more traffic stops from Mexico to Texas to check vehicles.

In March 2021, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, citing a crisis on the US southern border. The operation relied on the resources of the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to secure the border. At one point, more than 10 military personnel took part in the operation.

Because Abbott deployed thousands of personnel to the US-Mexico border, the operation was criticized as overtly political and a waste of resources by Democratic lawmakers, even by some members of the National Guard involved in the mission.

Abbott's other initiatives included plans to build a border wall.

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