A seventh busload of 49 migrants arrived at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, coming from Texas. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), a member of the L.A. Welcomes Collective, confirmed that the bus left Brownsville on Thursday and arrived in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon. This brings the total number of asylum-seekers who have arrived in the city to 283.
Angelica Salas, the executive director of CHIRLA, stated that Los Angeles continues to show compassion and work collectively to provide refuge for asylum seekers. She emphasized the importance of helping them find protection and create a better life in their new home, the United States.
Salas also mentioned that the migrants are leaving behind their suffering and rejecting any attempt to use their situation for political agendas.
Zach Seidl, spokesman for Mayor Karen Bass, stated that the city is actively working with its partners to implement a plan to assist migrants, as they have done before whenever buses arrive.
The bus was carrying 32 adults and 17 children, ranging in age from 4 months to 16 years. Out of the total of 49 passengers, 25 were female and 24 were male.
CHIRLA reported that the migrants came from various countries including Brazil, Cameroon, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Venezuela.
Upon arriving at Union Station, the migrants were immediately transported to the receiving center located at St. Anthony’s Croatian Church. Volunteers and staff at the center provided them with urgent humanitarian support, such as food, water, clothing, hygiene kits, diapers, toys, health checks, and legal immigration orientations.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera, the director of Communications for CHIRLA, mentioned that the migrants enjoyed a meal together like a family, and the youngest children were being taken care of by their family members and resting at the center.
The L.A. Welcomes Collective, consisting of organizations such as the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, and Central American Resource Center-Los Angeles, has been providing resources and services to migrants arriving from Texas.
Lindsay Toczylowski, the executive director for Immigrant Defenders Law Center, expressed the organization’s commitment to providing legal information and support to vulnerable migrants in Los Angeles. She stated that they are proud to be part of a network that consistently welcomes people with respect and offers assistance to help them integrate into the community.
Odilia Romero, the executive director for CIELO, emphasized the need for more information in indigenous languages about asylum, funds, and other services. Romero stated that language translation for migrants is a fundamental human right.
Michael Donaldson, the senior director of the office of life, justice, and peace for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, acknowledged that migrants possess the same dignity as any other person. He pledged the support of the Archdiocese in collaborating with the L.A. Welcomes Collective to provide pastoral care and support to migrants.
Migrants whose final destination is Los Angeles will be reunited with their loved ones, family members, or sponsors on the same day. Others will receive assistance in making travel plans to reach their final destinations.
Previous buses from Texas have arrived in Los Angeles on June 14 and throughout July. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been organizing the transportation of migrants from Brownsville, Texas to California, citing the overwhelming number of immigrants crossing the Mexican border in the state’s border region.
In response to the first bus arriving in Los Angeles in June, Governor Abbott criticized President Biden for not securing the border and stated that Texas’ border towns are overwhelmed. He also mentioned that Los Angeles is an attractive destination for migrants due to its self-declared sanctuary city status. The Los Angeles City Council has passed a motion to draft a “Sanctuary City” ordinance, which would prohibit the use of city resources for federal immigration enforcement.
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