Immigration advocates in Philadelphia called the bus route a cruel trick played on innocent people who are in the United States legally. The migrants, who an immigration advocate said came mostly from Colombia in addition to the Dominican Republic and Cuba, began disembarking in the cold Philadelphia morning at about 6:15 a.m. Families received winter coats, blankets and hot chocolate from volunteers. City Council member Helen Gym greeted a woman who had a baby with a hug and words of welcome. There were at least two infants in the group that made the trip from Texas. “Seeking asylum is a human right,” Gym said. “Our country has always welcomed people who sought refuge here and that is why we have flourished. … Our city and country are stronger when we embrace and welcome people who seek a better life.” Dobin Garmendia, 23, came to the United States from Nicaragua. He said in Spanish that people he believed to be Texas officials had offered to bring him and others to Philadelphia for free if they had no money for the trip. He described the bus ride as generally smooth. “I have to get a job,” he said of his plans for the next few days, “and address immigration.” By 6:25 a.m., the bus had left 30th Street, leaving 19 people to board a SEPTA bus to take them to a city-set-up drop-in center in North Philadelphia. One of the children was being treated at a local hospital after arriving with a high fever. Others on the bus were traveling to other states. Some had called family members from the road, making arrangements to meet in Philadelphia. Only one person will be left in the city, according to state Rep. Amen Brown, who met with the families in North Philly. “The mood is good,” he said of the arrivals. “They are excited to see family members. Philly stepped up.” Georgina, who was picked up by the family at the reception center before she could give her last name, described in Spanish that she had been on the bus for about two days and told the travelers a small packed lunch. The 24-year-old said she was feeling “super good” and was looking forward to spending time with family in Philadelphia. Emilio Buitrago, founder of Casa De Venezuela, said everyone at the reception center is checked and fed. “It’s not the Four Seasons,” he said. “They have a room to rest, they have a little TV, a microwave, their basic needs will be met immediately.” City officials and migrant aid workers had been preparing for days to meet the bus, which was carrying people of Central and South American origin. “At times, immigrants are used as tokens to advance the political agenda of individuals who do not care about the well-being of our communities,” said executive director of the advocacy group Juntos, Erika Guadalupe Núñez. “Governor Abbott’s efforts serve as a ploy to sow social discord and spread misinformation about the human right to seek asylum and what it means to be a welcoming city. We will not be fooled by his efforts.” Mayor Jim Kenney promised that arrivals will be treated with dignity and respect and shared a “How You Can Help” update, which you can read here. “It is disgusting that Governor Abbott’s administration continues to implement a deliberately harsh policy using immigrant families as political pawns,” the mayor said Tuesday. Philadelphia officials said they would be ready with food, water, emergency health screenings and shelter. Abbott confirmed Tuesday that along with Chicago, New York and Washington, “the city of Philadelphia will now be a transit site for the state of Texas’ bus strategy.” Texas is sending immigrants to northern cities in an effort to relieve pressure on the border, which others call a political stunt that harms and confuses innocent people. This bus was coming from Del Rio, Texas, which is on the border west of San Antonio. Philadelphia officials said Texas authorities have not coordinated with them. Only three people had listed Pennsylvania as their final destination, and others were expected to continue on to stops in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland, the city said. Since the summer, the city’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Office of Emergency Management have been preparing for the possible arrival of migrants on unscheduled, unpredictable bus routes from southern states. These agencies meet regularly to plan a response with 15 local communities, including the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, Juntos, HIAS Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, and the Nationalities Service Center This planning has intensified in recent days. Officials noted that a large city like Philadelphia can easily accommodate a single bus of arrivals. Most of the people arriving in Philadelphia are expected to travel to meet family members. All have legal means to be in the United States. Many, if not all, are seeking asylum and have passed “credible fear” interviews in order to be released into the United States. This standard requires immigrants to show that they face a real risk of harm in their home country or that they have already been harmed. And they must have been hurt in a certain way, such as because of their race, religion or politics. “The Lone Star State,” Abbott wrote, “will continue to do more than any state in history to secure our borders, including adding more sanctuary cities as drop-off points for our bus strategy.” Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, director of policy at the American Immigration Council, estimated that Texas has spent more than $2,166 per immigrant to bus people to Washington, New York and Chicago. “At that price,” he tweeted, “Texas could have bought each person several first class plane tickets.” Abbott’s office said it was sending the bus here as “part of the governor’s unprecedented response to President Biden’s open border policies that are crushing border communities in Texas.” “Until the Biden administration does its job and provides Texans and the American people with sustainable border security, Texas will continue to do more than any other state in the nation’s history to defend against an invasion along the border, including adding more sanctuary cities like Philadelphia. disposal sites,” Abbott said in a statement. He cited Kenney’s defense of Philadelphia’s role as a sanctuary city to “make the city an ideal addition to the Texas list.” The Kenney administration fought and won a major lawsuit over the Trump administration’s attempt to withhold grant money unless the city helped enforce federal immigration laws. Sanctuary jurisdictions like Philadelphia aim to treat undocumented immigrants like everyone else when they come into contact with the legal system. Those cities and states say it’s illegal for ICE agents to detain immigrants for arrest absent a court order. In the spring, Abbott directed the Texas Department of Emergency Management to charter buses to transport migrants from Texas to Washington, D.C., and in August the governor added New York and Chicago as destinations. Thousands of immigrants have been sent to those cities, he said, “providing much-needed relief to Texas’ overwhelmed border communities.” Immigration advocates call the buses a cruel trick played on people who are pursuing legal immigration remedies and just trying to find their way back to their families. “Greg Abbott should be the strongest advocate for a humane immigration reform plan in Congress,” City Councilwoman Helen Gym tweeted over the weekend. “Instead, he’s spending $$ on these buses as a sick political stunt because he’s more invested in exploiting a problem than finding a real solution.”
