Governor Abbott Sends Migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris’s Home on Mother’s Day

Texas migrants were transported to the Naval Observatory near Vice President Kamala Harris’s Washington, D.C. home on May 14. This is just another installment in the ongoing migrant crisis and comes almost immediately after the end of Title 42, which allowed U.S. officials to expel migrants from the border during the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas has recently seen a sudden influx of migrants arriving at the Texas-Mexico border, seeking asylum in the wake of Title 42’s expiration, which occurred late Thursday evening. In response, Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration has been delivering bus-loads of these migrants to the Vice President’s residence, the previous occurrence only three days before this latest Mother’s Day stunt.

On May 11, Abbott sent two buses filled with migrants directly to the vice president’s home. According to his office, one bus dropped off roughly 50 migrants, while the second carried more than 30. When asked about this incident by the Texas Tribune, Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, said, “Until President Biden steps up and does his job, Texas will continue busing migrants to sanctuary cities to provide relief to our overwhelmed border towns.”

This is not the first time that Abbott has bused migrants to the Capital. For months last year, Abbott periodically shipped migrants to D.C., and on Christmas Eve, 139 migrants were transported to Vice President Harris’s home, where they were subsequently taken to a nearby church. Amy Fischer, an aid worker present when the buses arrived, told ABC News that none of the migrants were dressed for the cold weather. Abbott’s decision was met with backlash, with many people finding his actions inhumane and extreme. Following this 2022 incident, White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan said, “This was a cruel, dangerous, and shameful stunt. As we have repeatedly said, we are willing to work with anyone — Republican or Democrat alike — on real solutions, like the comprehensive immigration reform and border security measures President Biden sent to Congress on his first day in office, but these political games accomplish nothing and only put lives in danger.” President Biden also condemned this act, calling it “un-American,” “reckless,” and “simply wrong.” Still, such criticism has not deterred the Texas governor.

In recent months, the Texas government has changed its handling of migrants. If they have not yet applied online or sought asylum in the countries they traveled through, migrants are not permitted to seek asylum in the United States. Thare granted asylum while their cases are being processed are expected to adhere to curfews and GPS monitoring and, if expelled, can now be barred from reentry for five years and possibly even face criminal prosecution. According to the U.S. Homeland Security Department, it has not noticed any substantial increase in immigration. With many changes underway, it is still unclear how these changes, along with Gov. Abbot’s methods, will continue to be received, but as of now, border crossing has remained fairly calm.