Washington DC declares emergency over migrants bussed in by Republican governors

Texas and Arizona leaders have sent thousands of refugees to the US capital to register anger over Biden’s border policy

The mayor of Washington DC declared a 15-day public emergency on Thursday over the buses of migrants and refugees being sent to the city by the Republican governors from the border states of Arizona and Texas.

Muriel Bowser announced plans to create an office of migrant affairs to coordinate the “humanitarian crisis” instigated by Republicans, and which appears to be aimed at embarrassing Joe Biden’s administration in the run-up to the midterms.

The Texas governor, Greg Abbott, has sent at least 9,400 migrants to Washington since April in an effort to push responsibility for border crossers to Democrats. Thousands more people have been bussed to New York City and Chicago. Following suit, Arizona’s Doug Ducey has sent at least 1,500 people to the capital since mid-August.

Bowser, a Democrat, said at a press conference that the new office would provide basic needs to arriving migrants and refugees, including food, transportation, urgent medical care and transportation to connect people to resettlement services. Bowser will allocate $10m to establish the new office and to support non-profits already helping the new arrivals.

While most new arrivals leave Washington for another state, non-profit staff who greet them at the bus station estimated that up to 15% stay because they have nowhere else to go.

Bowser gave no timeline for the new office but said officials were working “expeditiously”.

She criticised the Republican governors for political games, and called on the federal government to lead the response to the “growing humanitarian crisis”. “Regardless of the federal response – which I think has been lacking in some respects – the District of Columbia will continue to work with partners to advance what we need and ensure our systems in DC are not broken by a crisis that is certainly not of our making,” Bowser said.

The time-limited emergency declaration, which the city council can extend, gives Bowser more power and flexibility, allowing officials to mobilise people and resources faster and seek federal financial assistance.

At least 250 buses have so far arrived in Washington. The policy is costing taxpayers in Arizona and Texas tens of millions of dollars and has converted the US capital into a de facto border state.

Volunteers have previously criticised the Bowser administration for passing responsibility to the federal government and refusing to adequately support those staying in Washington.

Contributor

Nina Lakhani in New York

The GuardianTramp

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