4th Texas Bus Drops Off Illegal Immigrants Near US Capitol

4th Texas Bus Drops Off Illegal Immigrants Near US Capitol
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a meeting in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 27, 2021. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Zachary Stieber
4/16/2022
Updated:
4/17/2022
0:00

The fourth bus from Texas carrying illegal immigrants arrived in Washington on April 16.

The bus dropped the immigrants off near the U.S. Capitol at approximately 7 a.m., according to the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

The office didn’t respond to requests for more information.

Only about 10 passengers were on board, according to Fox News, which reported that workers with the Central American Resource Center met the immigrants.

The center provided food and water to the immigrants before transporting them to Union Station.

Previous groups have been helped by Catholic Charities.

A 23-year-old Venezuelan native who arrived from Texas told Fox that he left his country due to high food prices and corruption.

“You can work for an entire month and only make enough money to feed your family, really, for one day,” the man, who was not identified by name, added.

Luis Alberto, another Venezuelan national, told NTD after arriving on an earlier bus that he took the offer of transportation because he heard “there would be someone to facilitate travel” and “because in Texas there is no help.”

Abbott, a Republican, announced in early April a multipronged plan to deal with the expected influx of illegal aliens following the Biden administration’s choice to schedule the end of Title 42, a pandemic-era power that enabled the rapid expulsion of many immigrants who crossed the southern border illegally.

One prong was directing the Texas Division of Emergency Management to field requests from local officials regarding illegal immigrants released from federal custody and help coordinate the transport of said immigrants to Washington and other areas outside Texas.

The first bus arrived on April 13. Each day since, a bus has arrived.

“The busing strategy is part of Governor Abbott’s response to President Biden’s ongoing failure to secure the border,” Abbott’s office said in a statement.

Chris Magnus, a Biden nominee who heads the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has accused Texas of not “adequately coordinating” with federal officials.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki initially called the plan a “publicity stunt,” adding after the buses started arriving that “it’s nice the state of Texas is helping” the immigrants to their final destination as they await the outcome of their immigration proceedings.