The Texas Department of Emergency Management has actually spent an estimated $2.9 million up until now to send out 1,778 immigrants to Washington D.C. at taxpayer expense, according to files released by the agency. In April, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Emergency Management to charter buses to carry migrants from Texas to Washington D.C. By the end of the month, Abbott had actually revealed an effort to crowdfund the bus trips to balance out the expense to taxpayers. That decision followed criticism from some Republicans and assistance for the effort from some Democrats.
Abbott’s effort to call attention to illegal immigration problems and Joe Biden’s border policies has actually cost Texas taxpayers $2.9 million through June 7, according to expenses released by the Texas Dept. of Emergency Management in reaction to an open records demand.
When the very first charter bus bringing 24 illegal immigrants showed up in Washington D.C., Abbott released a statement to share the news.
“As the federal government continues to turn a blind eye to the border crisis, the State of Texas will remain steadfast in our efforts to fill in the gaps and keep Texans safe,” Abbott said at the time. “By busing migrants to Washington, D.C., the Biden Administration will be able to more immediately meet the needs of the people they are allowing to cross our border. Texas should not have to bear the burden of the Biden Administration’s failure to secure our border.”
Records from the Texas Division of Emergency Management file bus journeys from April 11 through June 7. Completely, 61 buses brought 1,778 illegal immigrants to Washington D.C. The overall expense of $2.9 million exercises to about $1,600 per guest. Superior airline tickets in June and July from San Antonio to Washington D.C. on United, American, and Delta expenses less than $1,200, according to Google Flights. A June 19 Greyhound bus ticket from San Antonio to Washington D.C. costs in between $291 and $311. An Amtrak train ticket for June 19 expenses between $282 and $384.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management and Wynne Transportation, the business contracted by the state to offer the busing, did not react to e-mails looking to validate the info supplied in the files gotten through the state’s open records laws.
The busing costs to taxpayers might climb up. The Governor’s office stated Friday that more than 70 buses bringing 2,100 illegal immigrants have actually been sent out to Washington D.C. Some buses brought more than others. One bus brought 9 illegal immigrants. Another brought 53 illegal immigrants.
Some buses carried more passengers than others. One bus carried nine people. Another carried 53 people.
Texas taxpayers paid for drivers, security guards, and GPS tracking, among other things. Security costs alone for the buses topped $1 million.
Selene Rodriguez, a policy analyst at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, said illegal immigration is costly.
“The way we see it, while any unnecessary taxpayer expenditures on illegal migrants should be avoided, in view of this expenditure in particular, one needs to take into account how much taxpayers would otherwise be spending if the migrants stay here, in terms of healthcare and other social services,” she said. “In healthcare alone, according to Texas Health and Human Services Commission data, Texas taxpayers have been forced to foot the bill for tens of millions of dollars per year in emergency medical and perinatal care.”
Rodriguez stated the state approximates in 2019 Texas taxpayers paid $80 million for emergency situation Medicaid and $6 million for care to pregnant ladies.
“There is also a heavy fiscal burden on Texas public schools, since 2015 the costs have been as high at $176.42 million per year,” she said. “These costs will continue to rise as more migrants flood the Texas-Mexico border.”
State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, chairman of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, dismissed Abbott’s actions as a stunt.
“Greg Abbott has never let fiscal responsibility or the interests of Texas taxpayers get in the way of a political stunt if he thinks it will help him,” Turner said.
Abbott’s Press Secretary Renae Eze stated the charter bus efforts have truly assisted Texans:
“President Biden has turned a blind eye to the suffering of Texans, as his dangerous open border policies overrun border communities with a historic level of migrants from over 155 countries flooding into our state. After speaking to border officials desperate for help, Texas began busing migrants to our nation’s capital rather than let the federal government dump them in our border communities – and over 2,100 m igrants have been bussed on 70 trips so far,” she said in a statement. “The Biden Administration has responded by slowing their dumping efforts – unintentionally providing relief to these overwhelmed border communities – and even instructing migrants not to board D.C-bound buses to avoid further embarrassment.”
Eze stated the crowdfunding effort has actually raised more than $112,000.
“After Governor Abbott announced his plan to bus migrants to President Biden’s backyard in Washington, D.C., we received an outpouring of support from across our state and the entire country of people wanting to help and donate to the operation, raising over $112,000 so far,” she said. “Lt. Gov. [Dan] Patrick, [Texas House] Speaker [Dade] Phelan, Senator [Joan] Huffman, and Representative [Greg] Bonnen agreed with Gov. Abbott that additional funds were needed for Texas to respond to the humanitarian crisis created by the Biden Administration, authorizing the transfer of funding for Operation Lone Star and to help bus migrants to our nation’s capital, including providing security for the buses. Texas continues stepping up to help our local partners and protect Texans – it’s time for President Biden and Congress to step up and do their job to secure our border.”
In late April, those lawmakers approved the transfer of $495.3 million to continue funding Operation Lone Star and border operations at other state firms. Some $465.3 million of that cash will be spent on the deployment of the Texas National Guard.
H/T JustTheNews
