Texas Gov. Abbott invites NYC and DC mayors to visit southern border and see 'humanitarian crisis firsthand'
A record 240,000 migrants encounters took place at the southern border in May
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Texas Gov. Greg Abbott invited to the mayors of New York City and Washington DC on Monday to visit the southern border and witness firsthand the record levels of illegal immigration taking place.
The invitation comes as Texas has been transporting illegal immigrants by bus to the nation's capital for months, prompting Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to ask the DC National Guard for help dealing with what she called a "humanitarian crisis."
Another bus carrying migrants arrived in Washington, DC, from Texas, Friday, July 29, 2022. (Fox News)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, meanwhile, asked the federal government for "financial and technical resources" as the city deals with an influx of families "arriving on buses sent by the Texas and Arizona governments."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BIDEN ADMIN QUIETLY APPROVES CONSTRUCTION OF U.S.-MEXICO BORDER WALL NEAR YUMA, ARIZONA
Abbott wrote in Monday's letter to the NYC and DC mayors that the "crisis" at the border deserves the attention of leaders around the country.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tours the U.S.-Mexico border at the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 23, 2022. (ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)
"Your recent interest in this historic and preventable crisis is a welcome development—especially as the President and his Administration have shown no remorse for their actions nor desire to address the situation themselves," Abbott wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As Governor, I invite you to visit our border region to see firsthand the dire situation that only grows more urgent with each passing day, and to meet with the local officials, who like yourselves, realize this matter deserves immediate federal action."
HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AMONG THOSE CROSSING US-MEXICO BORDER ILLEGALLY THIS WEEK
Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for Mayor Adams, said New York City "will never turn our backs on those in need who are arriving here."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Instead of a photo-op at the border, we hope Governor Abbott will focus his energy and resources on providing support and resources to asylums seekers in Texas as we have been hard at work doing in New York City," Levy told Fox News in a statement.
Migrants pictured on April 1, 2022, at the U.S.-Mexico border. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Customs and Border Protection reported 207,416 encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in June, a slight decrease over the record 240,991 encounters that occurred in May.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Abbott launched Operation Lone Star last year to deal with the border surge, deploying thousands of National Guard members and Department of Public Safety officers to border communities.