Four New Jersey House members, including the 3 representative for Hudson County, have penned a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) requesting a meeting on migrants in light of recent bus arrivals.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Since April of 2022, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has sent tens of thousands of migrants who have crossed the United States’ southern border on one-way buses to cities far away from his state,” the letter, from U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman’s (D-12 office) signed by U.S. Reps. Rob Menendez (D-8), Bill Pascrell (D-9), and Donald Payne (D-10), says.
“Governor Abbott’s motivation for busing is purely political as he exploits the lives of those escaping from hardship and turmoil. He and other governors who have sent people north are doing so without the care of the individuals in mind.”
Yesterday, President Joe Biden’s (D) administration sued the State of Texas and Abbott for making it “illegal for an illegal immigrant to enter or attempt to enter Texas directly from a foreign nation.”
The letter notes that migrants have been bused across the country from Texas since April 2022, with many heading to New York City.
With NYC Mayor Eric Adams signing an order on December 27th limiting how migrants can enter the Big Apple, a handful of transportation hubs in New Jersey, including Secaucus, have essentially become transfer stations.
“Since then [December 27th], there has been an increased number of buses stopping in New Jersey to bypass the executive order, including dozens of buses from Texas and Louisiana carrying hundreds of migrants since the executive order went into effect,” the federal representatives noted in the letter.
“We know that Governor Abbott and other governors will not stop this political stunt. As members of the New Jersey Delegation in Congress, we want to ensure close coordination
between all federal, state, and local partners to navigate this situation. Our priority is to ensure humanitarian needs are taken care of and our state and local officials have the proper resources at their disposal as more migrants arrive.”
This afternoon, Adams’ administration filed a $708 million lawsuit against 17 bus companies that have transported roughly 33,000 migrants from Texas to New York.
Additionally, they asked if Murphy’s office had any communications with Abbott or any other governors who bussed migrants to NYC, requesting to be briefed on any communications between NYC and federal officials, what NJ Transit’s role has been in assisting, and what resources are available to local officials, among other things.
“We would like to receive responses to these questions within a week to help us better understand the scope of the situation. We would also like to request a meeting with your Office to discuss the plan moving forward on how to handle the incoming buses,” the Congress members concluded.
“As always, we appreciate you answering our questions and your leadership. We look forward to working together in partnership as we navigate this challenging situation.”
We need to do our part and help with the migrant crises. Hudson county is wealthy and has the resources to help house and support our migrant brothers and sisters. While evil trumpers want to close our borders, it is up to us to ensure that no human is illegal. Bring them here, we are a sanctuary state and our towns are sanctuary cities. We can afford it!
It is all fun and games till someone has to pay the bill.