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DC Council votes on emergency migrant bill
Less than a week after Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent two buses of migrants to be dropped off near Vice President Kamala Harris' D.C. home, the DC Council is voting on emergency legislation to address the issue. FOX 5's Katie Barlow reports outside Union Station with more details.
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - DC Council approved emergency legislation Tuesday to address the buses of migrants being sent to the District from border states.
The vote comes less than a week after Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent two buses of migrants to be dropped off near Vice President Kamala Harris' D.C. home.
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Buses of migrants dropped off outside of VP Harris’s residence in DC
Two buses of migrants were dropped off Thursday morning outside Vice President Kamala Harris’s residence in northwest Washington, D.C. amid the ongoing dispute over who should be responsible for caring for the migrants. FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald reports.
READ MORE: DC National Guard request to assist with reception of migrants from border states denied
Migrants have been arriving at Union Station from states like Texas and Arizona for months now. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says approximately 8,000 migrants have arrived in the District since April.
Local groups have provided necessities to the migrants when they arrive, but Mayor Bowser says the resources of those groups are becoming increasingly strained.
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Aid groups overwhelmed with influx of migrants, call for support
As the number of buses delivering migrants from Texas to Union Station continues to increase, aid groups say they are overwhelmed.
After declaring a public health emergency earlier this month, Mayor Bowser called on the DC Council to support a bill that would establish an Office of Migrant Services. The bill would invest $10 million to support organizations working in the field.
READ MORE: DC declares public emergency on migrant crisis, establishes Office of Migrant Services
However, the bill had some critics. On Monday, 38 organizations and experts told the council to vote "no," saying the bill gives the mayor broad power to decide who is eligible to receive services with little oversight. Critics also said the bill would allow children to be housed in congregate settings, which can be unsafe.
Mayor Bowser released a statement, thanking the council for "moving forward" the effort to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis within the city.