Migrant Buses Prompt DC Mayor Bowser to Declares Public Emergency

In response to the thousands of migrants and refugees arriving in the nation’s capital by bus from Arizona and Texas, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a 15-day public emergency Thursday that allows her to establish an office that will provide services to the incoming migrants.

At the same time, buses sent by Texas’s and Arizona’s Republican governors were called a political stunt in her office’s statement.

Bowser believes that coordinate the Republicans are instigating this politically motivated, man-made humanitarian crisis with an aim at embarrassing President Biden’s administration in the run-up to the midterms.

The emergency declaration Mayor Bowser’s office announced also emphasized that they’re staying true to their values and are building a system that will support a compassionate, consistent, and well-coordinated response.

The statement explains that the district will seek reimbursement from the federal government for its plans to allocate $10 million to the new office and support organizations, and for setting up a separate system to coordinate Washington’s response.

Bowser formally requested National Guard help with the migrants over the summer and was denied twice.

Meanwhile, the Office of Migrant Services will help with the reception and triage of the migrants, many of whom are expected to move to destinations outside of DC. A non-profit staff who greets migrants at the bus station, however, estimated that up to 15% of them will stay because they have nowhere else to go.

Since April, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey have sent thousands of migrants to so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ of Washington DC, New York, and Chicago – which have limited cooperation with federal immigration agencies to protect undocumented people from deportation – and neither has expressed any intention of stopping.

Drawing attention to Texas’s challenges as a border state, Sen. Abbott, for his part, has defended his actions as a necessary measure and in an effort to push responsibility for border crossers to Democrats.