Gov. Greg Abbott (R) of Texas says the state will begin to send migrants to Washington D.C. on charter buses and conduct enhanced vehicle inspections at the border in response to the federal government ending Title 42 expulsions next month.
In a Wednesday press conference, Abbott said the Biden Administration’s open border policies have led to a record number of illegal immigrants crossing into the United States. With the announced end of Title 42 expulsions next month, up to 18,000 people may attempt to cross the border every day, NBCDFW reported.
According to the governor, the number of illegal border crossings by the end of the year could exceed the number of people living in Los Angeles.
“It is unprecedented and it is dangerous,” Abbott said Wednesday.
As a result, the governor is enhancing Operation Lone Star, the joint border security effort undertaken by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department, with new strategies aimed at decreasing the ingress of cartel smuggling, narcotics, and illegal immigration.
Abbott said he is directing the Texas DPS and the state’s Division of Emergency Management to take unprecedented action this month, “to do what no state in America has ever done in the history of this country to better secure our state as well as our nation.”
The first step, according to the bolstered operational plan, is for DPS to conduct enhanced safety inspections of vehicles as they cross the international points of entry into Texas.
DPS Director Steve McCraw said the inspections began Wednesday outside of federal property. He emphasized that probable cause is not needed to detain a vehicle for a safety inspection.
“It’s our job to ensure that every commercial vehicle is safe and the driver is safe as well. If not, we’ll put them out of service,” McCraw said.
However, the more noteworthy move is the governor’s directive to bus migrants to Washington D.C.
Abbott is directing DEM Director Nim Kidd to put the “hordes of illegal immigrants” overwhelming Texas border communities on charter buses bound for the nation’s capital, NBCDFW reported.
“Texas is providing charter buses to send these illegal immigrants that have been dropped off by the Biden Administration to Washington, D.C. We are sending them to the U.S. Capital where the Biden Administration can more immediately address the needs of the people they are allowing to cross the border.”
Kidd said the state has deployed up to 900 buses in the past for evacuations. He said they will use as many buses as required to follow the governor’s plan.
Abbott said the buses will take the migrants from Texas to the steps of the U.S. Capitol building.
