The immigration landscape at the southern border has changed dramatically since the Biden initiative to close the border when certain thresholds of migrant crossings were reached.
The change has been so dramatic that even as Texas Governor Greg Abbott announces his plans to continue bussing new arrivals to democratic “sanctuary cities,” there are too few new migrants to bus on a regular basis.
Decrease in Migrant Busing Since 2024
Since the beginning of 2024, fewer buses have dropped off migrants into blue cities across the U.S. from Texas, as there have been significantly fewer Customs and Border Patrol apprehensions at the border since the beginning of the year.
Conservative Support for Relocating Migrants
The actions of Republican border state governors to relocate newly arrived migrants to larger, democrat-run cities across the country is a popular policy amongst conservatives wanting to prove a point about immigration numbers that outpace what the local communities can absorb.
Governor Abbott’s Continued Busing Efforts
At the Republican National Convention, Governor Abbott was praised for his plans to continue bussing immigrants beyond the border states.
Abbott’s Commitment to Bussing Migrants
Abbott told delegates at the convention, “We have continued busing migrants to sanctuary cities all across the country. Those buses will continue to roll until we finally secure our border.”
Impact of Biden’s Executive Order
The recent Biden executive order to close the border to asylum seekers and refugees for the foreseeable future has dampened the effect of Abbott’s policy.
Decline in Migrant Apprehensions
As a result of the executive order, 117,000 migrants were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in May 2024, less than half of the 300,000 in December 2023.
Record Low Migrant Encounters
In June 2024, only 84,000 migrants were encountered at the U.S. border. This figure is the lowest monthly number of migrants since Biden took office in 2021.
Shortage of Migrants to Fill Buses
Josh Goldfein from the Legal Aid Society of New York said, “They now come much less frequently because there are not enough people crossing the border to fill a bus.”
Mexico’s Role in Border Control
In addition to Biden’s executive order limiting asylum appeals, another factor preventing more migrants from crossing the border is Mexico’s officials keeping U.S.-bound migrants from reaching the U.S.-Mexico border.
Abbott’s Claim of Success
Abbott also claims credit for the significantly reduced number of migrants. His spokesman said, “Texas has decreased illegal crossings into the state by 85 percent thanks to our historic border mission. Fewer illegal crossings into Texas means there are fewer buses departing for sanctuary cities.”
Operation Lone Star
Abbott started Texas’s 11 billion dollar program, called Operation Lone Star, in 2022 when Texas could no longer absorb the high number of migrants crossing the Southern border.
Migrant Buses in 2023
During much of 2023, migrant buses left Del Rio, and McAllen, Texas, headed for sanctuary cities across the country that would receive, place, and provide for the basic needs of the arriving migrants.
Reduction in Migrant Bus Departures
No buses have left Del Rio or McAllen in several months due to the significant reduction in migrants traveling over the border. The last buses to leave Texas departed in January from Laredo and Brownsville.
