‘A despicable act beyond politics’
Another bus from Texas carrying migrants arrived at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles Aug. 21, the ninth such arrival since June 14, Mayor Karen Bass announced.
The bus departed from Brownsville, Texas on Aug. 20 as city officials warned Angelenos to brace for the peak impact of Tropical Storm Hilary and arrived around 6:45 p.m. Monday, Bass said.
“It is evil to endanger the lives of vulnerable migrants by sending a bus with families and toddlers on board to a city that at the time was under an unprecedented tropical storm warning,'' Bass said. “As I stood with state and local leaders warning Angelenos to stay safe and brace themselves for the worst of the coming storm, the governor of Texas sent families and toddlers straight for us on a path through extreme weather conditions.
“If anybody understands the danger of hurricanes and thunderstorms, it's the governor of Texas who has to deal with this threat on an annual basis. This is a despicable act beyond politics.''
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been orchestrating the buses from Brownsville to California, saying Texas' border region is “overwhelmed'' by immigrants crossing the Mexican border.
“Texas' small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Biden's refusal to secure the border,'' Abbott said in a statement after the first bus arrived in Los Angeles in June.
“Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status. Our border communities are on the front lines of President Biden's border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this much-needed relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border.''
When a bus with migrants arrives, various city and county departments and a coalition of nonprofit organizations, in addition to faith partners, execute a plan set in place earlier this year.
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, a member of the coalition, issued a statement on social media Monday declaring, “In LA we welcome people, not send them into harm's way! Proud to be in a city that see the dignity and humanity of every person regardless of their immigration status.''
