Data obtained by NBC News reveals that despite Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s promise to send buses full of migrants out of the state until the border is secure, no buses were sent in July 2024. The number of buses sent began to decrease after President Joe Biden’s executive action on asylum applications in June 2023. Abbott had sent 95 buses with over 4,000 migrants to cities across the country in July 2023 but sent zero in July 2024.
The data, covering April 2022 to August 2024, shows that the number of buses peaked in January 2023 with 156 buses sent, then gradually declined in the subsequent months. By the end of July 2024, shelter operators in border cities reported not having enough migrants to fill the buses. Abbott’s spokesperson attributed the decrease in bus departures to Texas’ efforts in reducing illegal crossings by 85% through their border mission.
Despite Abbott’s continued commitment to sending buses to sanctuary cities, data reveals that bus departures had actually stopped in some cities before the end of the year. According to a spokesperson for Hidalgo County, where the border is located, the notion of being overrun by migrants was never a local concern, contrary to the narrative put forth by politicians. Overall, the data suggests a significant decrease in the number of migrants being bused out of Texas, reflecting the impact of Abbott’s border security measures.
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