Several buses carrying illegal immigrants arrived in New York City and Washington, D.C., on Thursday morning, including one bus that dropped its passengers off outside Vice President Kamala Harris’s residence, Fox News first reported.
It’s not the first time migrants have been delivered to Harris’s doorstep at the Naval Observatory since Republican governors started facilitating the relocation of illegal immigrants to Democratic “sanctuary” jurisdictions. Many of the migrants on the Thursday trip, including men, women and children, are from Venezuela, according to NBC News. Most passengers brought small white bags with their belongings.
Last month D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency over the migrant transports, claiming that it was overwhelming the city and its services.
Bowser’s order opens up emergency funding to provide for the migrants’ needs and form the Office of Migrant Services, which will be responsible for sourcing housing, medical care, transportation, and other resources for the arrivals.
Two more buses dropped off migrants in New York City at Manhattan’s Port Authority transportation hub Thursday after seven made it to the city Wednesday, Fox News reported.
Thursday’s drop-off comes after two migrant flights sent by Florida governor Ron DeSantis were received in Martha’s Vineyard. Residents of the affluent island, progressive media outlets, and Democratic politicians were outraged, calling the move an inhumane “stunt” that made political pawns out of the migrants. The DeSantis administration has argued that the passages were authorized by the state legislature, including Democratic lawmakers, in the annual budget months ago. California Governor Gavin Newsom then urged the Justice Department to investigate DeSantis’ involvement in the trips, which he immediately condemned.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also sent migrant buses around the country, such as to Chicago, where 500 illegal immigrants arrived last month. In response, Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also declared an emergency in the state, mobilizing the state’s National Guard to assist with the influx. He called Abbott’s action “disgusting.”