A bus carrying a dozen undocumented asylum seekers arrived in Washington on Wednesday, sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican.
Abbott announced last week that he would send undocumented immigrants to Washington, D.C., in anticipation of the Biden administration's imminent repeal of Title 42. This title had prevented most immigrants from entering the United States to seek asylum for more than two years due to the pandemic. Its official end is scheduled for May 23.
So far, there are records of two buses coming from Texas, which transported a dozen migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Colombia, who arrived again at Union Station, just as the first group did on Wednesday morning.
Catholic Charities DC had people at Union Station Wednesday morning when migrants were dropped off to receive assistance, according to Kate Kennedy, the organization's communications director. The organization provides a range of services, including food assistance and medical care, among other social services in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
On the other hand, although Abbott called these people "illegal migrants," the White House reported that they are people who are processing their asylum application in the United States and are therefore "free" to move around the country.
It is important to note that once an immigrant is processed by federal authorities and released from custody, they are allowed to move freely throughout the country while awaiting immigration court proceedings. An immigration judge will ultimately decide whether they are allowed to remain in the United States or be deported.
Information taken from: EFE, Univision and CNN.