A group of immigrants who arrived by bus in the city of Los Angeles was sent from Texasa move that the mayor of the city considered a “reprehensible ruse” by the Republican governor Greg Abbott.
A total of 42 people, including some children, were dropped off at Union Station. They received attention from city agencies and charitable organizations, Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon’s office said.
“They spent 23 hours on the bus, and they had no chance to eat or drink water,” commented Mario Cabrera, of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.
“They are being fed and moved to shelters and talking to lawyers,” he added. “These are immigrants the United States allowed into the country because they have credible fears. They still haven’t received asylum.”
Mayor Karen Bass said she has instructed local agencies to prepare to receive immigrants from other states.
In recent months, Republican governors, especially those in Florida and Texas, have begun sending immigrants to Democratic states.
Florida’s Ron DeSantis sent a group last week from states bordering Sacramento, California, also at taxpayer expense.
Late last year, DeSantis himself sent 49 Venezuelans to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
“We were not caught off guard, nor will we be intimidated,” Bass said in a statement. “Los Angeles is not a city motivated by hate or fear, and we certainly will not be influenced or pushed by petty politicians who gamble with human lives.”
The Texas governor said the migrants were sent to Los Angeles because California has declared itself a “sanctuary,” extending protections to people living without authorization and allowing them to apply for state benefits.
“Our border communities are on the front lines of President Biden’s border crisis, and Texas will continue to provide this much-needed respite until he steps up to do his job and secure the border,” Abbott said.
Immigrants in Los Angeles received assistance at a Catholic church in San Antonio, near downtown.
