More migrants arrive on a bus from Texas
36 come to Los Angeles' Union Station on Thursday and are receiving aid, officials say
Another bus of migrants from Texas arrived at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, the sixth group to arrive since June 14.
According to Mayor Karen Bass' office, the bus arrived around 8:50 a.m.
“The city has continued to work with city departments, the county and a coalition of nonprofit organizations, in addition to our faith partners, to execute a plan set in
place earlier this year,” mayoral spokesman Zach Seidl said in a statement. “As we have before, when we became aware of the bus yesterday, we activated our plan.”
According to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, the group included 15 men, eight women and 13 children, with the children ranging in age from 2 to 17. The migrants were taken to nearby St. Anthony's Croatian Church, where they were met by city officials and immigrant support groups for an orientation.
“In addition to receiving urgent humanitarian support services, such as food, water, clothing, hygiene kits and legal immigration guidance, this group of asylum-seekers will be connected with loved ones, family members or sponsors in the region,” according to CHIRLA.
CHIRLA officials said the asylum-seekers hailed from Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, with the largest contingents from Mexico and Venezuela.
“In addition to receiving urgent humanitarian support services ... this group of asylum-seekers will be connected with loved ones, family members or sponsors in the region.” — Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
According to the organization, Thursday's group of migrants brings the total number of immigrants bused to Los Angeles from Texas to 234.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been orchestrating the shipments of migrants from Brownsville, Texas, to California, claiming the state's border region is overwhelmed by immigrants crossing the Mexican border.
“Texas' small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President (Joe)
Biden's refusal to secure the border,” Abbott said in a statement after the first bus arrived in Los Angeles in June.
Abbott added, “Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its selfdeclared sanctuary city status. Our border communities
are on the front lines of President Biden's border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this muchneeded relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border.”
In June, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a motion directing the city to draft a sanctuary city ordinance that, when passed, would prohibit any city resources, property or personnel from being utilized for any federal immigration enforcement.