“Abbott deserted kids on the aspect of the highway in under freezing temperatures,” a White Home spokesperson stated.
The Biden administration has condemned Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for transporting migrants from his state to the Washington, D.C. residence of Vice President Kamala Harris on Christmas Eve, when temperatures within the metropolis had been effectively under freezing.
Abbott’s administration had not coordinated with any group or authorities entity earlier than bussing the migrants, and had not developed any plan for housing them after they arrived.
Between 110 and 130 migrants arrived in D.C. on Saturday evening, according to reporting from Reuters. A number of the migrants had been kids — and many of them were without proper winter gear or even warm clothing.
“Governor Abbott deserted kids on the aspect of the highway in under freezing temperatures on Christmas Eve with out coordinating with any Federal or native authorities,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement. “This was a merciless, harmful, and shameful stunt.”
Over the previous yr, Texas has bussed hundreds of migrants to cities historically considered as liberal or progressive in what many have stated are merciless makes an attempt to make use of migrants as political pawns within the debate on immigration. These migrants have sometimes been met with care and hospitality by residents of those cities; on Saturday, volunteers in D.C. took the migrants to a church and a synagogue that supplied short-term housing upon their arrival.
In response to the Biden administration’s assertion, Abbott’s workplace accused the White Home of being hypocritical.
“The White Home is stuffed with a bunch of hypocrites, led by the Hypocrite-in-Chief …. As an alternative of their hypocritical complaints about Texas…President Biden and Border Czar Harris must step up and do their jobs to safe the border — one thing they proceed failing to do,” learn a statement from Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze.
Only a few days earlier than Christmas Eve, Al Otro Lado, a binational immigrant rights group, described Abbott’s management as being disastrous to migrants.
“Gov Abbott is a shameless bigot hellbent on terrorizing migrants,” the organization wrote on Twitter in response to a information article about Abbott utilizing armed Nationwide Guard troops to intimidate migrants as they entered the nation. “Treating a humanitarian difficulty as a regulation enforcement difficulty will👏🏽by no means👏🏽work👏🏽. No downside that required a compassionate + sensible resolution has ever been solved with weapons + razor wire.”
Abbott’s motion on Christmas Eve was equally condemned by immigration rights activists.
“Greg Abbott is a monster. Interval,” wrote Erika Andiola, communications director for The Younger Middle, an immigration rights group that focuses on kids.
