United States
Migrant buses: Washington’s mayor declares a state of emergency
People displaced from Latin America are processed by border patrol in Texas after illegally crossing the Rio Grande River from Mexico to the United States. photo
© Eric Gay/AP/dpa
Refugee policy as an ongoing conflict: In order to hand over responsibility, Republican-governed states are now taking migrants by bus to democratically run cities.
The mayor of the US capital Washington, Muriel Bowser, has declared a state of emergency in view of the numerous buses arriving in the city with migrants from the Texas border area. She announced that due to the “ongoing humanitarian crisis” she would open a new coordination center to better support people upon arrival. The District of Columbia will initially provide $10 million and then seek federal reimbursement. The declaration of a state of emergency allows federal funds to be diverted.
Bowser is responding to the ongoing conflict with the Republican governors of Texas and Arizona on the border with Mexico. In the spring, the governors began busing migrants from the border areas to Washington, New York and Chicago in order to hand over responsibility to the democratically run cities. In Washington alone, more than 9,000 migrants have reportedly arrived in buses. “With this plan, we remain true to our values and are building a system that supports a compassionate, consistent and well-coordinated response,” Bowser said.