Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Attacks White House Over Criticism Of Migrant Busing On Christmas Eve

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott slammed the White House for criticizing the busing of migrants in sub-freezing temperatures on Christmas Eve. Abbott was condemned for the recent incident when buses filled with migrants were dropped off near the Vice President Kamala Harris' home in Washington on Saturday, when temperatures were at a record low in Washington DC.

In a statement, Gov. Abbott’s spokesperson Renae Eze said the governor called out the White House as being filled with “hypocrites,” led by the “hypocrite-in-chief”. Eze added that Texas was providing much-needed relief to its border communities that have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of migrants crossing it and emphasized the need for President Biden and Border Czar Harris to secure it immediately instead of making “hypocritical complaints.”

Gov. Abbott, for the past few months, had been periodically busing migrants from Texas to other parts of the United States as a form of protest against the government for their “reckless” border policies. This was also the local government’s effort to provide relief to the state and its communities around the border. A spokesperson for the Texas Division of Emergency Management said that in September, the state had spent more than $12 million on the trips, which included chartering buses for the migrants, Yahoo! News reported.

The busing incident on Sunday that took place in front of the Vice President’s home was labeled by White House officials as a "cruel, dangerous, and shameful stunt." Amy Fischer, one of the aid workers outside the VP’s home said 139 migrants, primarily families arrived late Sunday in three buses, without any clothing fitted for colder climates while the temperatures were at an all-time low. The migrants were later transported to an area church for shelter.

Abbott’s spokesperson said the migrants that boarded the buses willingly chose to go and had signed a voluntary waiver of consent that was written in multiple languages, stating that they agreed on the destination as they boarded their transport. Eze then rebounded the blame back at the federal government saying the migrants were processed and released by the government, which had been dumping them on the streets of El Paso.