The Department of Defense has denied requests from Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to activate the National Guard and provide assistance to the thousands of migrants being bused to the district from southern border states.
The request was rejected in part because the city already has sufficient funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that can be used to shelter the immigrants and provide necessary resources, the department confirmed to the Washington Examiner. Bowser had requested that the D.C. National Guard be activated indefinitely to help respond to the influx of migrants being transported to the district, arguing that immigration is a federal issue rather than a local one.
ABBOTT BEGINS BUSING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO NYC AFTER MAYOR ADAMS GAFFE
“We have determined providing this support would negatively impact the readiness of the DCNG and have negative effects on the organization and members,” a Defense Department spokesperson said. “We understand SAMU First Response has received grant funding through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program, and has indicated that sufficient EFSP funds exist at this point to provide migrant assistance.”
Bower’s request also sought to use the D.C. Armory, a multipurpose arena located east of the Capitol, as a processing center for the migrants who have been transported to the nation’s capital over the past three months.
More than 125 buses have brought 4,800 migrants from Texas border cities to Washington, D.C., under an initiative by Gov. Greg Abbott that seeks to protest the Biden administration’s “refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open border policies.”
Abbott expanded that initiative by beginning to transport migrants to New York City after Mayor Eric Adams said he would welcome migrants with open arms.
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“In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city,” Abbott said on Friday. “I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief.”
Arizona launched a similar initiative in mid-May, sending more than 1,000 migrants from the border state to Washington, D.C., over the last few months. District officials such as Bowser have decried the move, claiming immigrants are being “tricked” into traveling farther away from their intended destinations.
