Greg Abbott Faces Backlash After Sending Migrants Seeking Asylum To VP Kamala Harris' House On Christmas Eve In Freezing Temperatures
Dec. 26 2022, Published 12:56 p.m. ET
Republican Governor Greg Abbott has been slammed for busing migrant asylum seekers from Texas to Vice President Kamala Harris' home in Washington D.C. on Christmas Eve, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The buses carried asylum seekers from poverty-plagued areas like El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela, which have been under attack by extreme threats of violence from drug cartels and gang activity.
The move orchestrated by Governor Abbott occurred as a majority of the nation faced severe weather brought by an extreme winter storm, that included Texas and Washington D.C. — which saw its coldest date on record — as the migrants arrived without proper winter clothing and supplies when they were discarded at the U.S. Naval Observatory where the Vice President's house is located.
While Governor Abbott was tweeting messages of "Merry Christmas" and Bible quotes, an estimated 110 to 130 men, women, and children were used as pawns in an ongoing political battle for stricter border security.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), seeking asylum has been a legal practice since World War II when many migrants sought freedom in the face of atrocities brought by the Holocaust.
"The right to asylum was enshrined in 1948's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and then again in the Refugee Convention of 1951 and its 1967 Protocol," stated the ACLU.
Abdullah Hasan, a White House spokesman, referred to the busing as a "cruel, dangerous, and shameful stunt."
Citizens across the country, including Texas constituents, echoed the White House spokesman's words.
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"Greg Abbott sends migrants to the middle of DC in 14 degree weather and then quotes the Bible for Christmas? Greg Abbott is garbage," wrote one Twitter user, which racked up over 13,000 likes.
Another Twitter user called out the irony of Abbott's plan over the Christmas weekend.
"The irony of Republicans about to celebrate Christmas — the story of a brown, immigrant family seeking shelter but being turned away," the person's tweet read along with a video of the migrants being unloaded.
"What HORRIBLE person would send migrant families with children to Washington, DC in 18 degrees freezing cold on Christmas Eve? The answer: Greg Abbott. Bah, humbug!!" wrote another in a tweet that received over 25K likes.
The bus was originally headed to New York but was unable to complete the journey due to severe snowfall.
The stunt was not a new trick for the Republican governor.
In September 2022, Governor Abbott and Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis were called out for their potentially illegal decision to bus asylum seekers to Martha's Vineyard.
The tiny Northeastern island was unaware of the busses, therefore lacked crucial preparation time and scrambled to find adequate shelter and supplies to care for the passengers.
"As we have repeatedly said, we are willing to work with anyone – Republican or Democrat alike – on real solutions, like the comprehensive immigration reform and border security measures President Biden sent to Congress on his first day in office," Hasan stated on the most recent bus drop-offs. "But these political games accomplish nothing and only put lives in danger."