Texas has begun giving two more self-proclaimed “sanctuary” cities for illegal aliens the opportunity to provide sanctuary to aliens illegally surging into the U.S. as a result of President Joe Biden’s open-borders policy, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) explained Friday.
Providing an update on Texas’ Operation Lone Star, which launched in March of 2021, Gov. Abbott reported that more than five hundred buses have redistributed nearly 23,000 migrants to six sanctuary cities who claim to welcome them, regardless of immigration status.
Since April 2022, the list of destination sanctuary cities has been steadily growing. The busing initiative added Denver in May and Los Angeles on June 14, bringing the count to six currently.
Nearly half of the migrant bus passengers have landed in the Nation’s Capital – and one group from Texas was even dropped off in front of the D.C. residence of the Biden Administration’s designated border czar – Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to Gov. Abbott’s account, Texas has bused:
- More than 10,000 migrants to the Nation’s Capital since April 2022,
- Over 8,200 migrants to New York City since August 2022,
- More than 2,600 migrants to Chicago since August 2022,
- More than 1,600 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022,
- Over 210 migrants to Denver since May 2023, and
- Over 40 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14, 2023.
And, what are these so-called “sanctuaries” doing the migrants that get off the buses in their cities?
Well, in the case of New York City, they’re sending a number of them back to Texas or to Florida – some even to South America and China.
Abbott Spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris reacted to the news that Democrat New York City Mayor was ousting the immigrants, instead of welcoming them, by pointing out Adams’ hypocrisy:
“Less than three weeks ago, Mayor Adams said busing migrants is ‘morally bankrupt.’ Where is
all the outrage and condemnation from the White House and Democrats for one of their own
sending migrants out of town, out of state, and even out of the country?”
The multi-agency Operation Lone Star isn’t just about enforcing immigration law - it’s also about keeping the state’s citizens safe from crime and deadly drugs.
Since its inception, the operation has resulted in:
- Over 384,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions,
- More than 29,000 criminal arrests,
- Over 28,000 felony charges reported, and
- Seizure of more than 419 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
“Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border,” Gov. Abbott said:
“Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden's open border policies.”