It's not just New York City.
Tennessee officials alsohad to scramble to accommodate aimmigrant bus that was dropped off unannounced in Chattanooga, they said in a post Tuesday.
In 48 hours over the weekend, Chattanooga helped 51 immigrants who were on a bus that was taken to the Big Apple by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Special Project Director.
“They came from another country speaking another language and were dropped off in the middle of America. You have to point them in the right direction.”
According to Smith, four of the immigrants who stopped in his city were welcomed by families, while the rest flew to airports to their final destinations in Ohio, Chicago and Florida. headed to
By the end of last week Many immigrants were passing through.
New York is also facing an influx of immigrants from the Lone Star State — Mayor Eric Adams is converting a luxury Times Square hotel into a reception center and shelter. are planning to 600 immigrant families.
Like Gotham, officials in Chattanooga were not informed by Texas that the immigrant bus was heading, Smith said.
Instead, officials in the southeastern city suddenly responded after hearing reports that asylum seekers had been seen near gas stations and hotels where charter companies stopped to switch drivers.
According to local television station WTVC,
in one incident, when the bus stopped near a McDonald's, immigrant children got off the bus to buy money. They were spotted in search of food,according to local television station WTVC. City officials and non-profits are working to ensure they can be at drop-off locations, he said.Non-profits in the city are providing blankets, snacks and rides to the airport for migrants.
“These are immigrants screened by the Department of Homeland Security. are legally seeking asylum — this is a protected legal status,” Smith said, adding that migrants were not staying overnight in town. A surge in immigration is happening as border arrests top two million for the first time in history - already breaking last year's record.