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LA mayor blasts Greg Abbott for sending migrant bus to her city during tropical storm
Instagram / govabbott
Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a border appearance discussing Operation Lone Star.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass lambasted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Monday for dropping off a busload of migrants in the city as it was buffeted by Tropical Storm Hilary.
As Hilary dumped 7 inches of rain in downtown LA and flash flood warnings went out across Southern California, a bus dispatched by Abbott dropped off migrants, including women and children, at Union Station Monday afternoon, according to Bass’ office.
“It is evil to endanger the lives of vulnerable migrants by sending a bus with families and toddlers on board to a city that at the time was under an unprecedented tropical storm warning,” Bass said in a statement.
Officials in Bass’ office said they were made aware of the busload of migrants coming from the South Texas town of Brownsville while LA’s Emergency Operations Center was already operating at Level II due to the tropical cyclone.
“If anybody understands the danger of hurricanes and thunderstorms, it’s the Governor of Texas — who has to deal with this threat on an annual basis,” Bass’ statement said. “This is a despicable act beyond politics.”
Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris told NBC News the bus drivers received updated weather conditions during the drive, adding that the vehicle rerouted “out of an abundance of caution” and took a more cautious route into LA.
Monday’s migrant drop-off is LA’s ninth since Abbott started busing asylum seekers to Democrat-led cities as part of Operation Lone Star, his $4.4 billion border crackdown.
Operation Lone Star has grabbed national headlines and has come under increasing scrutiny since Abbott deployed blade-equipped buoys into the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass in early July.
A judge is expected to rule next week whether Abbott and Texas officials must remove the buoys as part of a Justice Department suit alleging the barrier violates federal authority.
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