Sixth bus of migrants since June arrives at LA's Union Station
Another bus of migrants from Texas arrived at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles today, the sixth group to arrive since June 14.
According to Mayor Karen Bass' office, the bus arrived around 8:50 a.m. "The city has continued to work with city departments, the county, and a coalition of nonprofit organizations, in addition to our faith partners, to execute a plan set in place earlier this year," mayoral spokesman Zach Seidl said in a statement.
It's reported that 36 people, including children, were on the bus and taken to nearby St. Anthony's Croatian Church, where they were met by city officials and immigrant-support groups.
Related: Fifth bus of migrants arrives in Los Angeles via Texas
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA said the asylum-seekers were from Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, with most coming from Mexico and Venezuela.
"Many of them are very confused about the process. Immigration law is extremely complicated," said Lindsay Toczylowski, the executive director of Immigrants Defenders Law Center. "It's really important that people understand seeking asylum is legal in the United States. And in fact most of the folks who are here today — who we've spoken to — follow all of the rules in terms of how they entered the United States."
Activists working to assist the migrants say that they are seeking asylum from political persecution or violence, and that most have family or sponsors in Los Angeles already.
"The majority of them are eligible to immediately apply work permits," Toczylowski said. "So, we're helping them to do that, and we're going to help them with their asylum cases."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been orchestrating the shipments of migrants from Brownsville, Texas, to California, claiming the state's border region is overwhelmed by immigrants crossing the Mexican border. "Texas' small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Biden's refusal to secure the border," Abbott said in a statement after the first bus arrived in Los Angeles in June.
"Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status," said Abbott.
Related: Nonprofit groups offering help to migrants dropped off at LA Union Station
In June, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a motion directing the city to draft a "Sanctuary City" ordinance that, when passed, would prohibit any city resources, property or personnel from being utilized for any federal immigration enforcement.
