Washington, DC, council member Brianne Nadeau on Thursday blamed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) for the migrant crisis in the sanctuary city, contending that they “turned us into a border town.”
“So it’s been said, but it’s worth reiterating, that the governors of Texas and Arizona have created this crisis,” Nadeau said on Thursday as the governors have sent migrant buses to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) D.C.
“And the federal government has not stepped up to assist the District of Columbia,” she continued, as President Biden’s Pentagon has rejected requests to activate the National Guard to assist the nation’s capital.
“So we, along with our regional partners, will do what we’ve always done. We’ll rise to the occasion. We’ve learned from border towns like El Paso and Brownsville. And in many ways, the governors of Texas and Arizona have turned us into a border town,” Nadeau lamented. “We don’t know how long this will take to resolve.
“We don’t know how long they will continue busing, and so the right thing to do here is to be prepared to ensure we can greet every bus, we can get people off on the right foot, we can get them where they want to go, and that will ultimately help them in their immigration process,” she added.
Her remarks come as Mayor Bowser declared a public emergency over migrants being bused in from Texas and Arizona. The declaration “establishes a Migrant Services Office within the Department of Human Services (DHS) and directs the Director of DHS to provide temporary services and supports to migrants arriving from the southern border states.”
LIVE: Mayor Bowser Establishes Office of Migrant Services https://t.co/T6NgFSResl
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) September 8, 2022
All of this comes despite the fact that Bowser stands as a longtime supporter of sanctuary city policies:
“I will not let the residents of DC live in fear. The District is and will continue to be a sanctuary city.” https://t.co/L1IHuWhfE6
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) November 17, 2016
Tear it down!
DC is a sanctuary city.
Clearly the flyer is meant to scare and divide our residents.
We won’t stand for it. #DCValues https://t.co/aCf9ewJ8Ir
— Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) June 1, 2017
We have been in contact with @DCPoliceDept and @DCDPW to have them removed. [2/3]
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 1, 2017
“Washington, DC is a sanctuary city. We protect the rights and humanity of all our residents, and our #DCValues and our local culture are guided by a celebration of diversity and inclusivity.” #thread
See full statement below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5a2FcRvVrK
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) July 18, 2018
According to the Washington Post, “more than 230 buses carrying nearly 9,400 migrants, including families with young children, have arrived in D.C. since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) began offering free passage to the nation’s capital in April, with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) following suit in May.”
