3 Texas buses of migrants arrive in LA

LOS ANGELES — Three buses carrying dozens of migrants arrived Friday in Los Angeles from Texas — the largest single-day group seen to date.

The buses reportedly held as many as 109 asylum-seekers, though only 65 were processed by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, spokesman Jorge-Mario Cabrera said. Some migrants got off the bus in Arizona, Cabrera said, while others left after arriving at Union Station, but before humanitarian aid was on scene.

“Folks were exhausted, disheveled,” Cabrera said. “They were uncleaned, tired, hungry and anxious.”

The administration of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has sent 19 buses carrying migrants to Los Angeles since mid-June.

Cabrera said an estimated 35% of all the migrants on those buses have been under age 18.

“Mr. Abbott does not care about the well-being and safety and care of these migrants,” Cabrera said. “He knows he’s sending a lot of vulnerable people.”

In a statement, Mayor Karen Bass said Abbott “continues to put vulnerable lives in jeopardy with limited food and water” on multi-day bus journeys.

“The city has continued to work with appropriate 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,” she said.

Abbott’s office could not be immediately reached for comment Friday evening.

Cabrera said Friday’s buses came with little notice, with the network of welcome aid only becoming aware within 30 minutes to an hour of their arrival.

Among the 65 migrants contacted Friday, approximately 62% were from Venezuela. Others hailed from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Haiti.

Most of the people who arrived Friday came with relatives, including 16 children, Cabrera said. About half of the arrivals said they planned to stay in Los Angeles, while the rest said they would go to other parts of California or other states.