LA mayor calls busload of migrants from Texas a ‘despicable stunt’

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) called a busload of migrants that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) sent from his state to the city a “despicable stunt” but said officials were prepared for it. 

Bass said in a statement that she directed city departments to prepare to take in migrants from out of the state after a few Republican governors began sending migrants seeking asylum to cities run by Democrats over the past months. 

“This did not catch us off guard, nor will it intimidate us,” she said. “Los Angeles is not a city motivated by hate or fear and we absolutely will not be swayed or moved by petty politicians playing with human lives.” 

Abbott said on Wednesday that his state was sending the migrants to Los Angeles because of its status as a so-called “sanctuary city” and to protest the number of illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

“Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status. Our border communities are on the frontlines of President Biden’s border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this much-needed relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border,” he said. 

Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León’s (D) office said the 42 people brought to the city were receiving care from agencies and charitable organizations. Some of the migrants include children. 

Abbott’s office said in a release that his office has sent more than 21,600 migrants to cities like New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Denver since last spring. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has also received national attention for sending migrants on flights and buses to cities run by Democrats, most recently flying migrants from border states to Sacramento, Calif., last week. 

The migrants who were sent to Los Angeles were receiving assistance at St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church near the downtown part of the city. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.