Arizona and Texas have bused over 6,100 illegal immigrants they apprehended crossing the border since May to Washington D.C.. The migrants volunteer for the trips, motivated partly by more generous laws towards the indigent in those cities.
NPR and other new outlets interviewed the migrants, confirming that they preferred to be bused out of Texas or Arizona. One reporter said, “Ronald told me that he felt welcomed in Washington in a way he just didn’t in Texas.” The city is finding resources to deal with the migrants. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser secured a FEMA grant for an international nonprofit called SAMU to offer emergency services to migrants. The Catholic Charities umbrella organization is also assisting.
The migrants have been warmly welcomed by numerous churches in D.C., assisting them with relocating to other cities. Most migrants come from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti.
Washington D.C. has welcomed the migrants more than the border states. D.C. resident Amy Fischer said she uses her lunch break to help the newcomers. “We’re told time and time again, that this is the first time that they’re treated with kindness in their journey,” she told Spectrum News. “And that makes me proud to be a D.C. resident.”
Read the rest of the article at The Arizona Sun Times
