Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that Texas is now busing migrants from the Mexican border to New York City, the state’s latest confrontation with an East Coast city over the influx at the border.
Abbott’s office said the first bus to New York City would arrive Friday morning at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. It comes months after Texas began offering migrants bus rides to Washington, D.C., where the mayor, Muriel Bowser, has said the city is now being overwhelmed.
The New York City mayor, Eric Adams, has also expressed alarm, leading Abbott to invite Bowser and Adams to tour the border Monday. Adams’ office dismissed the invitation.
“In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city,” Abbott said in a news release. “I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief.”
The back and forth is steeped in political tensions as the Republican governor — running for reelection and considered a potential presidential candidate — tries to show that Democratic mayors are not as sympathetic to the plight of migrants as their party claims to be. Abbott’s critics have said he is using migrants as pawns in a cynical plot that does little to actually solve border problems.
Caught in the middle is President Joe Biden, who Abbott has long blamed for the border situation. Bowser has turned to the administration for help, asking last month for the Department of Defense to deploy the National Guard to her city.
“The migrant crisis facing our city and our country through cruel political gamesmanship from the governors of…
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that Texas is now busing migrants from the Mexican border to New York City, the state’s latest confrontation with an East Coast city over the influx at the border.
Abbott’s office said the first bus to New York City would arrive Friday morning at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. It comes months after Texas began offering migrants bus rides to Washington, D.C., where the mayor, Muriel Bowser, has said the city is now being overwhelmed.
The New York City mayor, Eric Adams, has also expressed alarm, leading Abbott to invite Bowser and Adams to tour the border Monday. Adams’ office dismissed the invitation.
“In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city,” Abbott said in a news release. “I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief.”
The back and forth is steeped in political tensions as the Republican governor — running for reelection and considered a potential presidential candidate — tries to show that Democratic mayors are not as sympathetic to the plight of migrants as their party claims to be. Abbott’s critics have said he is using migrants as pawns in a cynical plot that does little to actually solve border problems.
Caught in the middle is President Joe Biden, who Abbott has long blamed for the border situation. Bowser has turned to the administration for help, asking last month for the Department of Defense to deploy the National Guard to her city.
“The migrant crisis facing our city and our country through cruel political gamesmanship from the governors of…Read Morelocal_news
