Texas Representatives around the state of Texas are reacting to the tragic death of a three-year-old child who was on a bus of asylum-seekers.
The bus is stated to have come from Brownsville, Texas, and headed for Chicago, Illinois.
Texas Representative Joaquin Castro (D) expressed his feelings on both the death of the young child as well as the administration that sent the bus to Chicago.
“I'm saddened & horrified but not surprised by a child's death on a Texas-sponsored bus to Chicago. Operation Lone Star has trafficked asylum-seekers across the country in squalid conditions for months. @GovAbbott's barbaric practices are killing people.”
I'm saddened & horrified but not surprised by a child's death on a Texas-sponsored bus to Chicago.
Operation Lone Star has trafficked asylum-seekers across the country in squalid conditions for months. @GovAbbott's barbaric practices are killing people.https://t.co/kTwhCFefNV
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) August 11, 2023
The busing of immigrants to cities that lean Democrat is becoming a popular strategy among Republican politicians. Governor Greg Abbott (R) has been a proponent of such strategies.
However, some politicians such as State Senator Roland Gutierrez (D) see the strategies as cruel.
“Parents made the long journey of over 2,000 miles through jungles, cartels, & rivers with buzzsaws on buoys just to beg for asylum and to have a chance at survival. Imagine reaching this beautiful country, only to lose your child due to the cruelty of the Governor of Texas.”
Parents made the long journey of over 2,000 miles through jungles, cartels, & rivers with buzzsaws on buoys just to beg for asylum and to have a chance at survival.
Imagine reaching this beautiful country, only to lose your child due to the cruelty of the Governor of Texas. https://t.co/INGOdvEbPM
— Senator Roland Gutierrez (@RolandForTexas) August 12, 2023
The migrants who were sent to Chicago are said to have chosen the city and to have signed a waiver, agreeing to go to the Illinois city.
As of now, it is unclear what exactly caused the young three-year-old child to die. It is worth noting that, according to the Texas Division of Emergency Management, no other deaths occurred on the bus, and no passengers are said to have shown signs of fever or medical concerns.
The TDEM state that the buses are stocked with food and water, and migrants are allowed to purchase additional provisions or leave at any point at which the bus has stopped.
Many lawmakers continue to scrutinize the way the state of Texas has handled border security.
Recently, in an interview with CNN, Texas Representative Veronica Escobar (D) discussed the similarities between Trump-era border policies and the current Abbott administration’s policies.
According to an immigration attorney, at least 26 migrant families have been separated by Texas authorities.
“It is precisely what happened with the Trump administration, where the Trump administration decided they wanted to use cruelty as a deterrent. They wanted to use cruelty as a punishment against vulnerable souls seeking asylum,” said Rep. Escobar.
