Washington.- Three buses of recent migrant families arrived from Texas near the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in record cold on Christmas Eve.
Texas authorities have not confirmed their involvement, but the bus delivery is in line with previous actions by border state governors calling attention to the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
The buses that arrived this Saturday night in front of the vice president’s residence were carrying between 110 and 130 people, according to Tatiana Laborde, general director of SAMU First Response, an aid agency that works with the city of Washington to serve thousands of migrants. that have been left In recent months.
Local organizers expected the buses to arrive on Sunday, but learned on Saturday that the group would arrive in Washington early, Laborde said. The people on board included small children.
Some wore T-shirts despite temperatures hovering around 9 degrees below zero. It was the coldest Christmas Eve on record in Washington, according to the Washington Post.
Laborde said employees had blankets ready for people who arrived on Christmas Eve and rushed them onto waiting buses to take them to an area church. A local restaurant chain donated dinner and breakfast.
Most of the arrivals were headed for other destinations and were expected to stay in Washington only briefly.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment Sunday morning. His office said last week that Texas has provided bus rides for more than 15,000 people since April to Washington, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, are strong critics of President Joe Biden for his handling of the US-Mexico border, where thousands of people try to cross daily, many seeking asylum. Officials on both sides of the border are seeking emergency help to set up shelters and services for migrants, some of whom are sleeping on the streets.
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