Gov. Greg Abbott said he would double down his efforts to send buses with migrants to Democratic cities, however, he has had a hard time fulfilling his promise, mainly because Texas does not have enough migrants to bus.
According to a new investigation by NBC, buses with migrants have not been rolling on a consistent basis for months. Some cities that used to receive these buses have said no bus has arrived since January. Only one reported receiving one bus in June.
This is mainly because of a dramatic decrease in the number of migrant encounters in the U.S.-Mexico border. Migrant encounters at the border have decreased nearly 80% from a record 300,000 in December. About 84,536 migrants were arrested at the border in June, and the Associated Press reported that July’s numbers were even lower, with about 57,000 detentions.
Experts have agreed that the decrease in migrant arrests was because of efforts from both the U.S. and Mexico’s federal governments. A spokesman for Abbott acknowledged that they were bussing fewer migrants, and said that it was because of Abbott’s efforts.
“Texas has decreased illegal crossings into the state by 85% thanks to our historic border mission,” the spokesman, Andrew Maheris, said. “Fewer illegal crossings into Texas means there are fewer buses departing for sanctuary cities.”
Abbott began busing migrants in 2022 as part of his $11 billion Operation Lone Star program designed to curve migration in Texas. Since then he has regularly sent buses with migrants to cities like New York, Chicago or Denver.
Since this year, some cities have said they’ve received less buses.
In Philadelphia, the last bus arrived in December, Los Angeles reported it has received no buses since January, and Washington, D.C., reported that no bus had arrived this year.
Buses arrived at Denver and Chicago in June.
Abbott has claimed that his $11 billion efforts have declined illegal immigration, but some conservatives have acknowledged that Abbott’s policies have done nothing to stop or solve immigration, and that he is only enforcing policies for his political gain.
“The Abbott administration is taking a lot of credit for that with all their fortifications. But the truth is that they have a lot of help from the Mexican government in Mexico City. That’s who’s really doing it,” said Todd Bensman, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a right-wing think tank.
Abbott is still promising to bus more migrants to blue cities.
“We have continued busing migrants to sanctuary cities all across the country,” he said at the last Republican National Convention. “Those buses will continue to roll until we finally secure our border.”
