Abbott on arrival of migrants in nation's capital: 'Texas is bringing the border to [Biden]'

The first bus carrying migrants from the southern border on Wednesday (April 13) arrived in Washington, D.C. just a week following Gov. Greg Abbott's announcement to send them to the steps of the U.S. Capitol, according to a report from The Hill, Austin NBC affiliate KXAN reported.

The move is in response to the Biden administration's decision to scrap Title 42 next month.

"Biden refuses to come see the mess he’s made at the border," Abbott, a Republican, tweeted. "So Texas is bringing the border to him."

A press release issued by the governor's office said that a second bus is presently on the way to Washington, D.C.

According to the release, the first bus arrived at a spot between the capital's Union Station and the capitol building.

"As the federal government continues to turn a blind eye to the border crisis, the State of Texas will remain steadfast in our efforts to fill in the gaps and keep Texans safe," Abbott said in the release. "By busing migrants to Washington, D.C., the Biden administration will be able to more immediately meet the needs of the people they are allowing to cross our border. Texas should not have to bear the burden of the Biden administration’s failure to secure our border."

According to the report by KXAN, the governor also ordered the state to fly migrants on charter planes to Washington, D.C. after they undergo processing by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Abbott said the Biden administration's open-border policies have enabled cartels "to pour into the U.S." He asserted that the elimination of Title 42 will worsen the problem.

Abbott's Democratic rival for governor, former Congressman Beto O'Rourke, asserted on Twitter that "Abbott has so badly screwed this up."

"Texans know that his political stunt is causing higher inflation and killing businesses," O'Rourke tweeted. "He has no choice but to back down."

Title 42 is a public health authority implemented by the Trump administration which bars migrants at the border from entering the country for asylum in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.