Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas bused nearly 16,000 migrants to sanctuary cities

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday said his state has bused nearly 16,000 migrants to sanctuary cities since the start of the relocation program in April. 

"Texas has bused over 15,900 migrants to sanctuary cities," he tweeted Tuesday. "We’re providing relief to local communities overwhelmed by President Biden’s open border policies."

More than half of the migrants went to Washington, D.C., while just under a third were sent to New York City. The remaining migrants went to Chicago and Philadelphia, Abbott said.

D.C. has been receiving migrants from Texas since April 2022. The state added New York and Chicago to its busing program in August. The first migrant bus arrived in Philadelphia in November.

Florida and Arizona have joined in bringing migrants to sanctuary cities in the north as the southern states struggle to deal with the ongoing migrant crisis.