Texas: Busing Border Migrants To DC Could Cost State $1.6 Million

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to bus undocumented immigrants from the border to Washington, D.C. in order to embarrass President Biden apparently has came with a price tag of more than $1.6 million. And Lone Star state taxpayers could be on the hook for the bill.

State records obtained by @NBCDFW show border busing bills total $1.6M+, while Abbott (R) has raised only about $112,000 to cover costs, which means Taxpayers could be stuck with bills.@BetoORourke @MomsAGAbbott #VoteBlue2022 https://t.co/ezVQAHJj5q

— Francine Ly for Senate (@TeamFLY_Senate) June 18, 2022

From the Dallas NBC News affiliate:

NBC 5 Investigates has obtained state records showing the cost of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to bus undocumented immigrants from the border to Washington D.C. has cost more than $1,400 per rider so far.

It’s a price tag that is higher than the cost of a first class plane ticket from some Texas border towns to the nation’s capital.

The documents, obtained through an open records request to the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), show busing costs exceeded $1.6 million in April and May, and the total bill may be higher. The records suggest the state has not received invoices for all of the trip expenses yet.

NBC 5 did its own research online and found plane tickets from border towns McAllen and Del Rio, Texas, to Washington D.C. for about $200-$300. First class tickets were in the $800-900 range, still less than the $1,400 cost of a seat on the Republican governor’s border buses. Abbott announced the busing program in April, describing it as an effort to take, what he calls President Joe Biden’s “mess” at the border, and drop it on Washington’s doorstep. Read the full report here.