The first charter bus carrying migrants from Texas under Gov. Greg Abbott’s recently-announced plan arrived in Washington on Wednesday morning, and that was just one of several new developments related to the governor’s plan to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border.
Meanwhile, three bridges between the U.S. and Mexico in the Rio Grande Valley were blocked over protests of Abbott’s policies.
And Abbott was scheduled at 2 p.m. to hold a news conference in Laredo after meeting with Nuevo León Gov. Samuel Alejandro García Sepúlveda.
In Washington, the bus pulled up to an intersection a few blocks from the Capitol, close to Union Station, shortly after 7 a.m. CDT. That location also happens to be next to a building that houses the operations of several television outlets, including Fox News.
Back in Texas, pressure continued to mount on Abbott to end the inspection of trucks and ease delays at international bridges.
On Tuesday, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller became the most prominent Republican to join a bipartisan chorus objecting to the delays in supply chain deliveries that are costing businesses money. Miller on Tuesday called for Abbott to end the new inspection policy saying it is “turning a crisis into a catastrophe” at the border.
And on Wednesday, the Texas Trucking Association also called on Abbott to end the policies.
“Unfortunately, this new initiative duplicates existing screening efforts and leads to significant congestion, delaying the products Americans rely on from our largest trading partner, Mexico,” the group’s statement said. “The current situation on the border simply cannot be sustained and we urge President Joe Biden and Governor Greg Abbott to come together before our economy endures further irreparable damage.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also weighed in.
“Local businesses and trade associations are calling on Governor Abbott to reverse this decision because trucks are facing lengthy delays exceeding five hours at some border crossings and commercial traffic has dropped by as much as 60%,” she said. “The continuous flow of legitimate trade and travel and CBP’s ability to do its job should not be obstructed. Governor Abbott’s actions are impacting people’s jobs, and the livelihoods of hardworking American families.”
Abbott could be heeding the calls. The Houston Chronicle reported that the governor may be ready to ease the inspections.