First bus of migrants arrives in Washington from the Texas-Mexico border

The first bus carrying migrants processed by federal immigration authorities in Texas arrived in Washington on Wednesday, part of Gov. Greg Abbott's new policy to provide migrants with free transportation to the nation's capital.

The migrants, who are from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, were dropped off blocks from the U.S. Capitol, according to Abbott’s office, adding that a second bus is en route to Washington. Fox News reported that the migrants originally boarded the bus in the Del Rio area.

Abbott launched the effort in response to the Biden administration's plans to end the pandemic-era Title 42 program, which authorized immigration officials to expel migrants, even those seeking asylum.

More: Gov. Abbott said migrants will be bused to Washington. Then his office clarified his remarks.

"As the federal government continues to turn a blind eye to the border crisis, the State of Texas will remain steadfast in our efforts to fill in the gaps and keep Texans safe," Abbott said in a statement Wednesday after the bus arrived in Washington. "By busing migrants to Washington, D.C., the Biden Administration will be able to more immediately meet the needs of the people they are allowing to cross our border. Texas should not have to bear the burden of the Biden Administration’s failure to secure our border."

Abbott also tweeted: “Biden refuses to come see the mess he’s made at the border. So Texas is bringing the border to him.”

More: 'It’s going to affect all of us': Frustration grows as trucks block Texas-Mexico border

Who is paying to charter Texas-Mexico border migrants to D.C.?

After Abbott announced the directive last week at a news conference in Weslaco, his office later clarified that the bus trips are voluntary and those eligible for the trip must have been processed and released by federal immigration authorities.

Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to facilitate and coordinate the logistics of chartering buses to take migrants to Washington.

The agency has not responded to the American-Statesman’s questions regarding which charter companies have been hired for the trips to Washington, how much the effort is costing and where the money is coming from.

Fox News aired live footage of migrants stepping off the charter bus outside of a building that houses multiple news organizations, including Fox News, NBC News, and CSPAN, according to Fox anchor John Roberts.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's migrant plan criticized

CNN reporter Priscilla Alvarez spoke to some of the migrants, five of whom said they were from Venezuela and had arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday.

“They are seeking asylum and were released from custody while they go through their immigration proceedings,” Alvarez tweeted. “After being released, the migrants said they were offered a bus ride to Washington DC. It was voluntary.”

The migrants told Alvarez they were provided with food and water during the 30-hour journey, and that many were planning on traveling to other U.S. cities from Washington.

Many conservatives have applauded Abbott for initiating the program.

U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, reacted to the news of the first bus arriving in Washington, tweeting: "Under President Biden's open-border agenda, every city is now a border city. Texas should not bear the burden of Democrats' failed immigration policies."

However, other Republicans responded with more skepticism, including state Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, who called it a “gimmick.”

Democrats and immigrant rights organizations have widely denounced Abbott’s initiative, labeling it a political stunt.

“Of *course* Greg Abbott ordered the bus with migrants on it to show up in front of Fox News headquarters here in DC. It's an incredibly dehumanizing and cynical stunt,” Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior policy counsel at the American Immigration Council, wrote in a Twitter thread.

“Abbott's plan is, ironically, 95% of the way to a good idea. It's the last 5%, where the drop-offs are deliberately in front of Fox News HQ and local NGOs aren't notified, that turns it from a good idea to a deliberate cruelty that treats human beings like pawns. Disgusting.”

When asked at a press briefing to respond to the bus arrival, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "These are all migrants who have been processed by CBP and are free to travel, so it's nice the state of Texas is helping them get to their final destination as they await their outcome of their immigration proceedings. And they're all in immigration proceedings.”

Edna Yang, co-director of the immigration rights nonprofit American Gateways, said that while the program is technically legal as long as the migrants voluntarily agree to the trip after having been processed by federal authorities, it’s not necessarily a viable or practical solution to the issues at the southern border.

“It seems kind of confusing and counterintuitive,” Yang said. “It really should be, you know, ‘This is how you apply for asylum. Here are your legal rights. This is what you're entitled to. Do you have community and family here in the United States, how can we help you rejoin that community and family so that you have stability and safety and that you're able to access our justice system in the manner that you are allowed to do so under our laws?’”

Yang said that federal authorities typically don't provide free transportation for asylum-seekers to cities across the country after they are released from custody. She says generally it is nonprofit and aid organizations that provide resources for migrants, including transportation to connect with family or other community members in the U.S.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: First bus of Texas-Mexico border migrants arrive in Washington, D.C.