OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Vice President Kamala Harris, appointed so-called ‘border czar’ by President Joe Biden shortly after the two of them took office, got a migrant-related surprise early Thursday morning.
Two buses containing between 75 and 100 migrants from Eagle Pass, Texas, who had crossed into the U.S. illegally were sent to the VP’s residence by GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, Fox News reported.
“The group includes migrants from Venezuela, Uruguay, Colombia and Mexico. Multiple migrants, asked by Fox News Digital, said they think the border is open, contrary to what Harris said Sunday during an interview,” the outlet noted further.
BREAKING: 2 migrant buses arrive outside Vice President Kamala Harris' Naval Observatory residence in DChttps://t.co/SHaUcs1HsJ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 15, 2022
🚨Breaking: Two migrant buses from Southern Border just arrived outside Kamala Harris residence at Naval Observatory in DC. pic.twitter.com/41QnF3p16W
— Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) September 15, 2022
The arrival of the illegal migrants outside Harris’ residence came just hours after Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis followed through on his vow to send illegal migrants to ritzy Martha’s Vineyard, where the Obamas have a home, among many other notable wealthy Americans.
“Yes, Florida can confirm the two planes with illegal immigrants that arrived in Martha’s Vineyard today were part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” an official for DeSantis’ office said in a statement, according to Fox News.
“States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies,” the statement added.
Just in: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has sent 2 planes carrying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard—His communications director says the transport was “part of the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations.” @NewsNation pic.twitter.com/8lS21oqXzf
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) September 15, 2022
The official noted further: “As you may know, in this past legislative session the Florida Legislature appropriated $12 million to implement a program to facilitate the transport of illegal immigrants from this state consistent with federal law.”
🚨BREAKING: @GovRonDeSantis sent illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard on a plane. pic.twitter.com/h1m9Yu1y3S
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 14, 2022
Both governors, along with Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, have been sending volunteer illegal migrants to northern “sanctuary” cities run by Democrats for months now as a way of protesting Biden’s lax immigration and border policies, which the governors say are responsible for a record number of crossings since Biden took office.
Fox News added:
DeSantis, a Republican, proposed Delaware or Martha’s Vineyard as a destination for such migrants, but his office explained at the time that they could also be sent “to other ‘progressive’ states whose governors endorse blatant violations of federal immigration law.”
“It is not the responsibility of Floridians to subsidize aliens to reside in our state unlawfully; we did not consent to Biden’s open-borders agenda,” the governor’s office said at the time.
In November, DeSantis said dozens of migrant flights landed in Florida at the behest of the Biden administration, and he threatened at that time to send them to Delaware on buses.
In recent days, Democratic officials have complained about migrants being bussed and flown to their cities. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also cited the Biden administration for failing to do more to mitigate the impact of migrants arriving in the city.
“With pledges from Texas and Arizona to continue these abhorrent operations indefinitely, the situation is dire, and we consider this a humanitarian crisis — one that could overwhelm our social support network without immediate and sustained federal intervention,” the mayor said last week as she sought assistance from the National Guard.
“We’ve had a number of discussions,” the mayor said. “We’ve facilitated FEMA’s involvement with a million dollar grant that has now been increased to work with a lead nonprofit agency. We’ve facilitated using those grant funds to set up a respite center in a neighboring jurisdiction and I’ve also asked the Secretary of the Army to deploy the D.C. National Guard to help lead that effort.”
Abbott addressed Bowser’s complaints on Twitter.
“D.C. is experiencing a fraction of the disastrous impact the border crisis has caused Texas. Mayor Bowser should stop attacking Texas for securing the border & demand Joe Biden do his job,” he said.
D.C. is experiencing a fraction of the disastrous impact the border crisis has caused Texas.
Mayor Bowser should stop attacking Texas for securing the border & demand Joe Biden do his job. https://t.co/ThEmjxQMK3
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 28, 2022
Renae Eze, a spokesperson for the governor, told the Washington Examiner that DC “finally understands what Texans have been dealing with every single day, as our communities are overrun and overwhelmed by thousands of illegal immigrants thanks to President Biden’s open border policies.”
