[The narrative cycling around conservative media outlets is that
Governors Abbott and Ducey have "stuck it to the Dems" by "bringing
the border crisis" to their front doors. In reality, mutual aid and
solidarity groups have safely welcomed thousands of asylum seekers
with dignity. ]
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THE TRUTH ABOUT BUSING MIGRANTS FROM THE BORDER TO DC: A STORY OF
WELCOMING
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Alexandra Gulden
August 15, 2022
Common Dreams
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_ The narrative cycling around conservative media outlets is that
Governors Abbott and Ducey have "stuck it to the Dems" by "bringing
the border crisis" to their front doors. In reality, mutual aid and
solidarity groups have safely welcomed thousands of asylum seekers
with dignity. _
Migrants hold Red Cross blankets after arriving at Union Station in
Washington, D.C., from Texas on buses, April 27. Under directives from
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the state has been providing migrants
arriving at the US-Mexico border bus charters to W, Jose Luis
Magana/Associated Press
IN APRIL, GOVERNOR ABBOTT of Texas began sending migrants from the US
southern border to Washington, DC, with Arizona joining soon after. So
far, Texas and Arizona have collectively bused over 7,000 migrants
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from the border to DC, and now Texas is beginning to send buses to New
York City as well.
The narrative cycling around conservative media outlets is that
Governors Abbott and Ducey have "stuck it to the Dems" by "bringing
the border crisis" to their front doors. Abbott and Ducey are using
migrant families, who are real people with hopes, dreams, and
unimaginable journeys, as political pawns to spin a media narrative
about an "immigrant invasion." There are anecdotal reports of migrants
being coerced onto the buses
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told that they will be taken to their desired destination, and then
sent to DC or New York instead.
At the same time, many migrants have also been able to benefit from
the program, because DC or New York are much closer to their final
destination than the Texas or Arizona border. Others don't have a
final destination in mind. Forced to flee their homes, they are
content to board a bus to DC or New York City, where, they are told,
there will be resources and jobs waiting for them.
In the case of DC, it is true that the buses have overwhelmed these
resources. But this is not the fault of a "migrant crisis," or the
migrants themselves, but of a lack of institutional will to act.
From day one, a mutual aid network of volunteers, activists, and
immigrants' rights advocates has been mobilizing to welcome and assist
migrants arriving in DC despite a vacuum of institutional support from
local or federal government. Though FEMA has provided federal funds to
SAMU First Response, the main nonprofit officially in charge of
coordinating, it has been woefully inadequate
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to keep up with the needs of receiving, housing, and transporting
migrants.
Sanctuary DMV, through the organizing and willpower of its volunteers,
has been able to welcome thousands without such support. In New York
City, a mutual aid and solidarity network led by Grannies Respond
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TLC-NYC [[link removed]] is already assembling volunteers
to greet and process migrants.
Both cities' governments have struggled with how to respond, further
complicated by a lack of communication
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and cooperation from Texas regarding the arrivals.
The DC Department of Human Services has been illegally excluding
migrant families
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from the shelter system despite available bed space, denying them
critical resources such as a case manager, who could assist in school
enrollment, health insurance, and receiving medical treatment.
In DC, neither the city nor the federal government is willing to play
a direct role in addressing what immigrant advocates say is a building
humanitarian crisis. Indeed, the government's failure to act is
causing the humanitarian crisis in the first place. DC's Mayor Bowser
has not allocated
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any local funds or government resources to welcoming efforts, despite
being eligible to apply to FEMA for reimbursement, and city officials
have been encouraging nonprofits to seek additional federal aid
instead.
On Friday, Mayor Bowser renewed her request
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for assistance from the National Guard to process migrants, which the
Pentagon previously denied. Sanctuary DMV has pushed back on this
request, noting that doing so only serves to further militarize
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the reception of migrants, and that the city should instead focus on
existing services, such as expanding shelter capacity, social
services, and language access.
The DC Attorney General's office, whose funding is separate from that
of the mayor's office, announced a grant program
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of $150,000 to aid nonprofits leading the welcoming response.
Sanctuary DMV applauded Attorney General Racine's decision but noted
that it was simply a "band-aid
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for more systemic issues, calling on the city to expand social
services and utilize some of the millions of dollars in available FEMA
grants to create a respite center
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New York's Mayor Adams claimed that migrants were overwhelming the
shelter system before Governor Abbott had even begun sending buses. As
aid groups pointed out, the shelter system was already overwhelmed
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by a variety of factors, such as understaffing and rising evictions.
To his credit, Adams quickly mobilized emergency measures
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to accommodate migrants in the shelter system and appeared in person
to greet migrants. Serious challenges still remain, as a new report
shows that migrant families are being separated
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when entering the NYC shelter system. But perhaps Mayor Bowser can
consider following in New York's example and finally commit to
welcoming.
It is important to remember despite the murky intersection of city,
state, and federal politics, and despite the narrative being further
weaponized by anti-immigrant media outlets and politicians, the
communities of DC and New York City have stepped up.
"We recently learned that people have donated about $160,000 to
Governor Abbott's effort to bus people to DC. And we—the DC
community—have raised over $350,000," said Amy Fischer
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Americas Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA, and who has
been actively welcoming with Sanctuary DMV.
"While politicians on both sides of the aisle use fear-mongering
tactics to undermine the human right to seek asylum, we know that is
not reflective of communities. When we feel overwhelmed with the
numbers arriving, or the lack of capacity, our answer is not to tell
people not to come. Our answer is to call for more support to expand
our capacity to welcome, not shut the door."
WAYS TO HELP
There are several ways that anyone, anywhere, can take action:
* Buy a MELT ICE fundraising t-shirt
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* Send supplies through wishlist
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* Donate directly to Mutual Aid Network
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* Donate through Venmo [[link removed]]
If you are based in DC, there are a couple of ways to help aside from
making a donation:
* Call on Mayor Bowser to Support Migrants Being Bused to DC
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* Click to send a letter, tweet, or phone call
* Volunteer to greet, transport, and house migrants
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* Spanish, French, and Portuguese speakers are greatly needed.
Volunteers are also needed to sort donations and for clean-up.
* Drop off Donations at the Outrage on 14th St NW during business
hours [[link removed]].
* Clothing, toiletries, and baby supplies are most needed.
In New York City, Grannies Respond and Team TLC-NYC
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welcoming efforts. Click HERE [[link removed]] to support.
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Alexandra Gulden
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Alexandra Gulden is the Program and Outreach Coordinator at the
Quixote Center. She works in digital communications, advocacy and
education around immigration policy, and maintains the Center’s
partnership with the Red Franciscana para Migrantes, a network of
migrant shelters in Latin America.
* Texas Bussing Immigrants to D.C.;
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