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Seventh bus of migrants from Texas arrives in downtown LA
Los Angeles Aug 04, 2023
Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. | Photo by David Wilson (CC BY 2.0)
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Another bus from Texas, containing 49 migrants, arrived at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles Friday, the seventh such busload since June 14.
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), a leading member of the L.A. Welcomes Collective, confirmed the bus left Brownsville, Texas Thursday and arrived in Los Angeles Friday afternoon. A total of 283 asylum- seekers have arrived to the city of Los Angeles to date.
“Los Angeles continues to open its heart and work collectively to give asylum seekers the refuge they deserve,” Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive director said in a statement. “Our work is to help them find protection and a better life in the U.S., their new home.”
Salas said that the migrants will “leave behind the suffering and any use of their plight for political agendas.”
Zach Seidl, spokesman for Mayor Karen Bass, said in a statement that the city continues to work with city partners to execute a plan set in place earlier this year to aid migrants.
“As we have before, when we became aware of the bus yesterday, we activated our plan,” Seidl said.
The bus included 32 adults and 17 children, ranging in ages from 4 months old to 16 years of age. Of the total 49 bus riders, 25 were female and 24 were male.
The migrants’ countries of origin included Brazil, Cameroon, China, Columbia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Venezuela, according to CHIRLA.
Upon arrival at Union Station, migrants were immediately transported to the receiving center at nearby St. Anthony’s Croatian Church, where they met volunteers and staff who provided urgent humanitarian support services such as food, water, clothing, hygiene kits, diapers, toys, health checks and legal immigration orientations.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera, director of Communications for CHIRLA, told City News Service that the migrants enjoyed a meal like a family, and that the youngest children were being coddled by their family members and resting at the center.
The L.A. Welcomes Collective — which includes the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice; Central American Resource Center-Los Angeles; Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo; Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project; Haitian Bridge Alliance; and Immigrant Defenders Law Center — has provides resources and services to migrants arriving from Texas.
“Immigrant Defenders Law Center remains committed to responding to the needs of vulnerable people arriving in Los Angeles by providing legal information and support. We are proud to be a part of the network of organizations in Los Angeles that have consistently welcomed people with dignity while offering what we can to set them up for success as they integrate into our communities,” Lindsay Toczylowski, executive director for IMLC, said in a statement.
Odilia Romero, executive director for CIELO, said that there must be more information available in indigenous languages about asylum, funds and other services. He said language translation for migrants is a “fundamental human right.”
Michael Donaldson, senior director of the office of life, justice and peace for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said “our migrant brothers and sisters possess the same intrinsic dignity as any person.”
“The Archdiocese of Los Angeles will continue to collaborate and partner with the L.A. Welcome Collective to ensure our migrant brothers and sisters receive the necessary pastoral care and support,” Donaldson said.
Migrants whose final destination is Los Angeles will be reunited with their loved ones, family members or sponsors the same day. Others will be assisted with travel plans to reach their final destinations.
Previous buses from Texas arrived in Los Angeles on June 14, and throughout July.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been orchestrating the shipments of migrants from Brownsville, Texas to California, claiming the state’s border region is overwhelmed by immigrants crossing the Mexican border.
“Texas’ small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Biden’s refusal to secure the border,” Abbott said in a statement after the first bus arrived in Los Angeles in June. “Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status. Our border communities are on the front lines of President Biden’s border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this much-needed relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border.”
In June, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a motion directing the city to draft a “Sanctuary City” ordinance that, when passed, would prohibit any city resources, property or personnel from being utilized for any federal immigration enforcement.
