Explainer: Governors Transporting Migrants to Other States

Taxpayers in Texas, Arizona and Florida have had their tax dollars used to transport more than 10,000 migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago and even Martha’s Vineyard. These actions by governors Greg Abbott, Doug Ducey and Ron DeSantis have stirred controversy and faced legal scrutiny. But who are these migrants and what exactly happens to them during this process?   According to this report, the majority of these migrants are a relatively new group of asylum-seekers escaping the Maduro regime in Venezuela. Those who are not returned under Title 42 or placed in detention are “paroled” into the country temporarily until such time as they can attend an immigration hearing. The receiving cities in the north have had to devise creative plans to accommodate these immigrants such as Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers in New York City.  The report further contends that busing is inherently duplicative, as nonprofits already exist to help immigrants move north to join family. While most of the migrants appear to have been transported voluntarily, there have been allegations of coercion and human trafficking. The entire state-sponsored busing exercise has cost more than $16.5 million so far.   

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