Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been roundly criticized by Democratic politicians for shipping more than 85,400 migrants to designated sanctuary cities since August 2022.
In August of this year, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a media release it was "evil" to bus migrants to Los Angeles while the city was preparing for Tropical Storm Hilary.
A month later, the White House labeled it a "cruel, inhumane political stunt."
But Brendan Steinhauser, who runs a political communications firm in Austin, Texas, said Abbott's busing of migrants has been an effective political strategy. Steinhauser said it shifted the conversation on the border crisis from the "very isolated places" of southern border towns to major U.S. cities.
Steinhauser served in the Texas State Guard and was involved in loading the very first buses of migrants that were sent to the sanctuary cities in August 2022.
"It's a real problem now, it is not just an intellectual argument," Steinhauser said. "It is on the streets, and that's the difference."
In November 2022, Abbott described the southern border crisis as "what amounts to an invasion."
The Center Square has reported that 47 counties in Texas have declared an invasion.
Under President Joe Biden, record numbers of foreign nationals have crossed the border illegally.
Steinhauser said Abbott has had enough of a humanitarian crisis in Texas communities.
"He said, 'We are going to bring those problems to you,'" Steinhauser said. "It's very interesting to see the reactions of the [sanctuary city] mayors. They are admitting to the fact that this is a crisis. It is changing the politics of those cities."
Abbott posted on social media the number of migrants bused to each of the sanctuary cities:
"Texas' border busing mission provides vital relief to our overwhelmed border communities," Abbott posted on X, formerly Twitter. "We have bused over 82,900 migrants to sanctuary cities."
The breakdown of the number of migrants sent to sanctuary cities, according to Abbott's office:
- 32,200 New York City
- 24,500 Chicago
- 12,500 Washington DC
- 11,100 Denver
- 3,400 Philadelphia
- 1,250 Los Angeles
