DC Mayor Bowser Requests National Guard Activation to Respond to 'Crisis' Created by Bused Migrants
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested Thursday that the National Guard be activated to assist with the “humanitarian crisis” caused by migrants being bused into the nation’s capital from Texas and Arizona.
WRC-TV reporter Mark Segraves tweeted that Bowser wants the Washington, D.C., Guard to be “activated indefinitely to help migrant busses arriving in DC. Calling it a ‘humanitarian crisis’ that has reached a ‘tipping point’ with 4,000 migrants so far. Requesting DC Armory be used as processing center.”
BREAKING: DC @MayorBowser requests @DCNationalGuard activated indefinitely to help migrant busses arriving in DC. Calling it a “humanitarian crisis” that has reached a “tipping point” with 4,000 migrants so far. Requesting DC Armory be used as processing center. @nbcwashington
— Mark Segraves (@SegravesNBC4) July 28, 2022
Both Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey have been busing migrants who crossed into the U.S. to the District of Columbia to put the issue of the Biden administration’s lax immigration enforcement policies on the federal government’s doorstep.
In April when Abbott launched his busing program, he said, “We are sending them to the United States Capitol where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border.”
The following month, Ducey followed suit, the Washington Examiner reported.
“This is a problem caused by Washington. We’re bringing it to Washington, and we expect Washington to foot the bill. We’re going to send them a bill,” Ducey spokesman C.J. Karamargin told the Examiner at the time.
On Thursday Abbott responded to Bowser’s request for National Guard assistance saying in a statement, “Washington, D.C. finally understands what Texans have been dealing with every single day, as are communities are overrun and overwhelmed by thousands of illegal immigrants thanks to President Biden’s open border policies.”
[firefly_poll]
“The true ongoing humanitarian crisis is along the southern border,” he added.
Abbott also noted that the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety troops have been deployed to the border since last year in response to the border crisis.
NEW: TX Gov. Greg Abbott’s office responds to D.C. mayor’s request for National Guard assistance w/ migrants.
“Washington D.C. finally understands what Texans have been dealing with every single day, as our communities are overrun by thousands of illegal immigrants.” @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/KGB0Qz98W4
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 28, 2022
Earlier this month, Bowser accused Texas and Arizona officials of “tricking” migrants to get on the buses during an appearance on the CBS program “Face the Nation.”
Migrants must volunteer to make the trip from the border to Washington.
Host Margaret Brennan asked about reports that the district’s homeless shelters are filling up with migrants.
“Well, this is a very significant issue. We have for sure called on the federal government to work across state lines to prevent people from really being tricked into getting on buses,” Bowser said.
“We think they’re largely asylum seekers who are going to final destinations that are not Washington, D.C., I worked with the White House to make sure that FEMA provided a grant to a local organization that is providing services to folks,” she added.
“But, I fear that they’re being tricked into nationwide bus trips when their final destinations are places all over the United States of America.”
Under the Biden administration’s border enforcement policies, the United States has experienced a record surge of migrants crossing illegally into the country.
For FY 2022 there have been 1,746,119 encounters at the southwest border as of June 30, which has already surpassed the entire FY 2021 record number of 1,734,686.
