Busloads of immigrants were unloaded on Saturday evening (local time) in front of the home of US Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington. A government official told CNN that the refugees on the first two buses were taken to local shelters.
More immigrants arrived later in the evening, some wearing only T-shirts because the temperature was well below freezing. They were given blankets and taken to a local church.
The director of a local aid organization said her club was ready for the arrival of migrants on Christmas Eve. “The Washington community has been welcoming buses from Texas since April,” said Tatiana Laborde.
It was not clear who sent the buses to Harris’ home. But earlier this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent buses of immigrants into the northern United States, including to a site near the vice president’s home.
Other Republican governors have also directed immigrants north this year to protest the immigration policies of President Joe Biden’s administration. For example, police in Texas launched an investigation into “dropping immigrants” by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. In September, he sent two flights of 48 immigrants to the island of Martha’s Vineyard in the Democratic state of Massachusetts.
The White House denounced De Santis’ action as a “political stunt”. These actions occurred prior to the November midterm elections.
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