NJ migrant crisis: Reactions mixed on Gov. Phil Murphy's request to bus companies

Gov. Phil Murphy wants the bus companies responsible for transporting migrants into New Jersey to give advance notice of the drop-offs.

But will the companies comply? And will this spur towns affected by the drop-offs to implement a similar tactic?

Murphy's office offered few answers in response to questions from NorthJersey.com about whether the bus companies have responded to the governor's request and the administration's plans if the companies do not comply.

Tyler Jones, Murphy’s deputy press secretary, initially responded to questions by email from NorthJersey.com about Murphy’s request by pointing to his statement in the letter. Then, in response to a follow-up for more details, Jones referred to his comments on the "Ask the Governor" radio program on WBGO-FM on Wednesday.

Murphy said during the program that it was "too early to tell" what impact the letter would have on buses coming into the state. He did note that the number of buses coming in after the letter was sent went down from a range of four to eight buses a day to one bus, based on the information he received.

Murphy said last Monday that he had asked charter bus companies to provide information to the state about the immigrants being dropped off at New Jersey transit stations in recent weeks to get around restrictions imposed by New York City. This was laid out in a letter to 23 bus companies responsible for transporting the migrants from Texas and Louisiana and dropping them off in Secaucus, Trenton and other Garden State sites on New Year's Eve.

When did migrants start to arrive in NJ?

That happened days after New York Mayor Eric Adams imposed restrictions by executive order on buses coming to the city, such as requiring bus operators to advise the city's commissioner of emergency management at least 32 hours before new arrivals. It also limits drop-off times to weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and noon.

More than 1,800 immigrants have been brought to New Jersey since New Year's Eve in trips arranged by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Murphy said in his letter.

Meanwhile, most of the bus companies contacted by NorthJersey.com could not be reached for comment on Murphy's letter, with only a few answering the phone.

Officials from Trenton, Edison and Secaucus in interviews all had mixed views on Murphy's request. Some immigrant advocates also expressed concern about this effort from the state.

Earlier this month: Murphy wants bus companies bringing migrants into NJ to give advance notice

After the letter

Murphy in the letter defended his request.

“As we continue to see more migrants arrive to our state at the hands of the Governor of Texas, who is reportedly funding the passengers’ transportation with taxpayer funds, notice to New Jersey officials in advance of these individuals’ anticipated arrival is critical to ensuring the health and safety of passengers once they arrive in New Jersey,” Murphy's letter said.

Then, on Wednesday, he explained further why the letter was sent.

"Part of the reason we took that action is we heard, A, they were on schedule and no notice — and the treatment of these people on these buses. Somebody told me that a 36-hour drive, they stopped for five minutes, which is inhumane," Murphy said.

He said the migrants ended up on the buses destined for New York City because they were told their asylum hearing was being held there. Murphy also called out Abbott for "political gamesmanship" in being responsible for the migrants ending up in the New York City area in the first place. He said that to deal with this situation requires "comprehensive immigration reform" in this country.

Murphy's request from the bus companies for 32 hours' advance notice is similar to what was imposed by the New York City mayor, but it does not include a limit on drop-off times. The request also wants the companies to provide the state Office of Emergency Management with several details on the migrants:

• The total number of passengers on each bus who are expected to arrive in New Jersey.

• The number of single adults traveling alone.

• The number of passengers traveling as part of a family, including the number of families with children under 18.

• The number of children under 18 and the number of chaperones (other than family members) for otherwise unaccompanied minors.

• Each location in New Jersey where passengers will be dropped off, along with the estimated time of arrival.

• The time and city of the bus’s initial departure with its passengers.

• A description of the bus, including its license plate number, its color and any identifiable exterior features.

Bus companies are mostly mum

NorthJersey.com contacted the 23 bus companies mentioned in the letter. Eighteen are in Texas, two in Louisiana, and one each in Iowa and Ohio. Only five picked up the phone, and just three offered any comment.

The person who answered the phone at VLP Charter LLC in Von Ormy, Texas, on Wednesday did not give his name but said the company did not receive any letter from Murphy's office. He also said the company does not operate buses that carry any migrants, doing business only with churches and schools.

The person who answered the phone at Coastal Crew and Change LLC in Lake Charles, Louisiana, identified herself as Chesney and declined to comment. Duayne Sherman, general manager of Clark Charter and Tours in Taylor, Texas, offered "no comment."

NJ municipal officials vary in views

Trenton is one of the transit stops for the buses that transport migrants.

The state capital city's mayor, Reed Gusciora, said in an interview Wednesday that he agreed with the move to get the bus companies to give advance notice.

"It would be helpful if we got the heads-up from these bus companies. They dropped off a little over a thousand migrants, 1,078 so far," Gusciora said, adding that the migrants had traveled in 25 buses. "And they're usually between the hours of 11:30 at night and 7 in the morning, and quite a few came in at 4 a.m. So, we're not able to assist them with any food or clothing or for medical needs."

Gusciora said the advance notice would have enabled officials to help 50 migrants who had elected to stay in Trenton rather than go on to New York City after train tickets for that trip. He said he didn't know if those migrants had been picked up by family or they were wandering the streets.

He then said that although various nonprofits in town could help any migrants unable to go on to New York City, he described them as “stretched beyond our means.”

Gusciora said the city is not considering placing restrictions and defers to Murphy. But that could change if buses arriving in the future do not pay for train tickets.

The Trenton mayor said the situation with the buses puts a spotlight on Congress to work on legislation on immigration reform to deal with migrants coming across the southern border. He also empathized with border governors such as Abbott, who have to deal with the influx of migrants, but said their problem should not be New Jersey's problem.

"Don't make it worse by sending us your problem, but this is something that Congress needs to address," Gusciora said.

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi saw buses come into the NJ Transit station in his township recently. He said Wednesday that the last time buses transporting migrants came into Edison was one bus last Monday carrying 40 passengers. None of them stayed in Edison, he said. In response, he wrote on Facebook that if any of the migrants decided to come to Edison, he would instruct “our law enforcement and emergency management departments to charter a bus to transport the illegal migrants right back to the southern Texas/Mexican border.”

Joshi said his government is considering any options to restrict the buses coming into the town.

He said that in terms of Murphy's request, he hoped that "any action that is taken by the state or the governor will continue to put pressure on the federal government" to deal with migrants coming into the country.

When asked if the bus companies will comply with Murphy's request, Joshi said he "wouldn't be able to get into a hypothetical like that."

He also defended his Facebook comments by saying, “I am the son of immigrants, and 45 percent of my municipality and the overwhelming supermajority of Edison residents, especially residents in this township, support my position.”

Secaucus Town Administrator Gary Jeffas said last Tuesday that while the town’s Mayor Michael Gonnelli understands why Murphy made the request, he was unsure if the companies would comply.

Jeffas said the town does not have the resources to restrict buses coming in, so it will defer to the state. He said in that the four previous days, three buses had come into the Secaucus Junction station, according to information from the state. And a total of 15 buses had arrived overall since Dec. 30.

Immigrant advocates weigh in

Immigrant advocates had been monitoring the arrival of the buses since it started around New Year's Eve. Some of them called out the Edison mayor for his comments about migrants.

In comments to NorthJersey.com, they expressed concern that the information gathered about the passengers brought on the buses will fall into the wrong hands.

Amy Torres, the executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, said that although it's a "welcome difference" that Murphy's request does not include limits on the arrival times of the buses, as is the case in New York City, she has concerns about the information requested and how migrants will be treated.

Torres said, "There aren't sufficient protections to keep New Jersey from collecting information that could fall into the hands of federal immigration enforcement, including in future, vengeful administrations."

She then pointed out, "The state should be working with community providers who have the cultural and linguistic fluency, as well as the mental health expertise, to greet passengers and assist them on the next leg of their journey."

Catalina Adorno, a coordinator with the New Jersey chapter of Movimento Cosecha, an immigrant rights group, said in a statement to NorthJersey.com, "The Murphy administration has a responsibility to ensure that the information they’re requesting about people arriving to or traveling through NJ is kept safe from ICE, local fascists, and others who might attempt to threaten or harass them (as has happened in NY)."

Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com

Twitter: @ricardokaul

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Migrant crisis in NJ: Reaction to Phil Murphy letter to bus companies