Over the holiday weekend, Democrats lamented that three busloads of 140 migrants deposited near Vice President Kamala Harris’ Washington. D.C., home on a frigid Saturday violated the spirit of the season, Axios reports. TX Gov. Greg Abbott appeared to confirm knowledge of the buses, reports Politico. The drop-off seemed in line with similar actions from border-adjacent authorities, in which governors including Abbott have sent thousands of migrants to Northern cities to protest President Biden’s immigration policies. Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Abbott, said the migrants agreed to voluntary consent waivers made available in multiple languages. Abbott's aide repeatedly called the Biden administration hypocritical for its border policies, calling for Biden and "Border Czar" Harris to "... do their jobs to secure the border — something they continue failing to do.” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) called Abbott “a heartless POS.” “Worthless @GovAbbott dropping off people with no money and no means on Christmas Eve in 15 degree weather near the VP’s residence. How Christian of you, Greg Abbott,” Castro wrote on Twitter.
Christmas Eve was the coldest on record in Washington, with a high temperature of 22 and low temperatures in the teens. Some of the migrants appeared to be without coats, though they were provided with blankets and given shelter by a nongovernmental relief agency and local organization. Madhvi Bahl of the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network said the cold was the biggest problem for people assisting the migrants. The network provided food, supplies, clothing, and shoes. It also helped find local shelter or book tickets to other places: 10 to 20 percent planned to stay in Washington, while the rest had other final destinations. Bahl said the manner in which Abbott has transported migrants is “terrible” and the reasons for which he’s busing them “are also terrible.” Bahl suggested a more formalized busing program saying the process should be more humane, and that receiving cities should take some responsibility for the arrivals with additional support from the federal government. The Biden administration has been harshly criticized for its border policies with the expected expiration of Title 42 — an immigration policy used by the Biden and Trump administrations to prevent the entry of millions of migrants under COVID-era rules. The administration could not end the directive by the deadline of Dec. 21, even if the Supreme Court allowed it to follow through on a lower court’s ruling to terminate it. For now, it remains in place, after Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary stay on the order.