A bus from Texas carrying dozens of migrants from Nicaragua arrived Tuesday at the gates of the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. -- where Vice President Kamala Harris lives.
The migrants arrived around 7 a.m., some wrapped in blankets and clutching their belongings as they stepped off the bus. Several children were among the group.
Gary Grumbach, a reporter for NBC News, tweeted video from the scene of the migrants arriving.
"The migrants that arrived today were immediately met by volunteers from SAMU First Response, who triaged their needs and travel plans before loading them into vans heading to their organization’s respite to help them plan next steps," he wrote.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has now shipped more than 8,400 migrants to D.C. alone since April, according to the governor's website. He said the busing missions, known as Operation Lone Star, are "providing much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities."
Thousands of other migrants have been bused to "sanctuary cities" including New York, Chicago and Philadelphia in protest of the Biden administration's perceived failure to tackle the border crisis. So-called "sanctuary status" means that a city will limit cooperation with federal immigration agencies in order to reduce fear of deportation and family separation.
Most of the migrants are seeking asylum and are allowed to stay in the U.S. temporarily. Last year, it took an average of nearly four years for asylum cases to be decided in immigration court, according to the Biden administration, leaving migrants in a legal purgatory that shields them from deportation, the Associated Press reported.
Abbott hasn't confirmed the bus that arrived Wednesday was sent to D.C. under his orders. However, Abbott sent several buses carrying nearly 150 migrants to the Naval Observatory in September, and followed up by sending around 80 more in October, WTTG reported.
"Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden's open border policies," Abbott said in a statement. "The federal government’s failure to execute America’s immigration laws has forced the State of Texas to protect its own territory."
A day before the migrants arrived outside Harris' home, Abbott tweeted that the Texas National Guard has deployed tactical vehicles along the Texas-Mexico border to "provide enhanced protection for our troops in the face of increasing cartel activity."
"President Biden says there are 'more important things' than the border crisis. He refuses to visit the border or acknowledge his admin's failure to step up," Abbott tweeted. "As he fails, Texas continues to take unprecedented action to secure our border."
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