Sheriffs dealing with the crisis on the southern border expressed their astonishment about the Washington D.C. emergency declaration and complaints from capital Mayor Muriel Bowser last week about the constant arrival of busloads of immigrants from Texas and Arizona. They also opposed Brianne Nadeau's remarks, a member of the D.C. Council, who noted that D.C. has become a "border town." More than 7,900 irregular immigrants have been transported to the capital by Texas and Arizona governors Greg Abbott and Doug Ducey.
"They haven't seen anything. They are not a border town. They don't know what a border town is," Sheriff Roy Boyd of Goliad County, Texas told Fox News He added, "I think it's all a bunch of political mumbo jumbo, trying to get attention and squeeze a little bit of money from the federal government or somewhere else that they can use for whatever they think is necessary." Boyd is one of several border officials who believe that DC and New York are getting a taste of what they have experienced on the southern border on a daily basis since the crisis began in Texas and Arizona.
Retired Texas Sheriff Clint McDonald, executive director of the Southwest Border Sheriff's Coalition, told Fox News:
The sheriffs on the border right now are living this every day and have been criticized for asking for help with what is going on. And now that major cities are starting to feel this pressure, it seems to be a completely different scenario for them (Washington) than it is for the people who live it every day.
McDonald pointed to previous cases where sheriffs were faced with more than 10,000 immigrants and "none of the federal people came down to help with that, so we have no sympathy for these people."
Jonathan Thompson, executive director and CEO of the National Sheriffs' Association told Fox News, "Welcome to the everyday problems we face that you've been ignoring and keep wanting to blame someone else for."
The declaration of emergency
The emergency declaration in Washington D.C. gives Mayor Bowser and her Administration more power and flexibility. Officials will be able to mobilize people and resources more quickly and seek federal financial assistance. The mayor stressed that she will send emergency legislation to the Washington Council to codify a new office.
"We are implementing a framework that would allow us to have a coordinated response with our partners," Bowser said. "This will include a program to welcome all buses. And since most people will move on, our main focus is to make sure we have a humane, efficient and welcoming process that allows people to move to their final destination," Bowser said.
Muriel Bowser has also stated that $10 million will be used to establish an immigrant services office to provide support and services. It will be integrated into the Department of Human Services and will provide support and services to non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Greg Abbott
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated that he will continue to transport immigrants until the president secures the border. He also invited Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York Mayor Eric Adams to the Texas border to show them the immigration crisis "firsthand." However, both officials have failed to show up to the Lone Star State.
Texas has transported more than 7,900 migrants to the nation's capital since April and more than 2,200 migrants to New York City since August 5. In addition, more than 300 immigrants from Texas have arrived to Chicago in recent weeks. "The mission to bus them is providing much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities," detailed a statement from Governor Abbott.
