One Year After the First Texas Bus Arrived in DC, Migrants Are Still Working Towards Self Sustainability with the Support of Mutual Aid
One year ago today, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas sent the first bus of migrants from the southern border to Washington, DC as part of a publicity stunt aimed at Biden. Since then he has sent over 200 buses, carrying around 7,300 people to the District, with hundreds more finding their way to DC by other means. In response, the DC community formed the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network (MSMAN), a group of organizations and volunteers dedicated to welcoming migrants arriving to the city. The Network stepped up in the absence of the local government and established non-profits — showing up to receive buses at all times of day and night, booking transportation, sorting donations, finding housing, and more. A year later, MSMAN continues to support the over 1,500 migrants who have chosen to make DC their home, as they continue to face federal and local barriers to resettlement.
“Last April, when we turned up at Union Station with sandwiches, hygiene kits, and little to no information to go on, we couldn't have imagined where we would be today,” said Claudia Tristán, core organizer with MSMAN. “Over the past year our mutual aid work has grown and changed, but our commitment to providing a dignified welcome remains strong.”
While the community response has been powerful, the federal and local government response has been lackluster. For the first three months, Mayor Bowser and the DC government ignored the hundreds of migrants being bused to the city. Finally, in July, after a two day strike by mutual aid organizers, the government took notice. Despite DC law at the time allowing asylum-seekers to access homeless services without proving residency, the DC government refused to provide migrants with these resources. They instead began housing only families with minor children at hotel shelters via emergency services. In late September, the DC Council passed emergency legislation, despite strong opposition from immigration and housing advocates, that created the Office of Migrant Services (OMS) and simultaneously excluded countless migrants from accessing homeless services, including many long-term DC residents.
On April 4th, over six months later, the DC Council finally amended this legislation, taking the first step towards acknowledging and mitigating the harm caused by the original bill. However, long-term support for the hundreds of migrant families staying in hotel shelters remain tenuous as Mayor Bowser’s FY2024 budget contains no support for OMS and makes deep cuts to housing and human services, which will cause many DC residents to become unhoused and housing insecure in the near future.
“When I arrived in Washington DC, after an extraordinarily difficult journey, I had no money, no address, nothing. But I met wonderful volunteers who offered me support and help when I was disoriented and had nowhere to go,” said Luis, who arrived on one of the first buses in April 2022. “My time in DC this past year has been great, and the wonderful volunteers have continued to support me and my family by helping me find housing, enrolling in English classes, applying for asylum, and regularly providing food. But I have not received any support from the government and things are still hard, as I still don't have a work permit and finding stable work has been so difficult. I haven't been able to access medical care without insurance, and the cost of living is an ongoing challenge.”
Currently, the buses from Texas have been paused because of the low number of border crossings, a result of President Biden’s expansion of Title 42 and draconian response to people arriving at our southern border to exercise their right to seek safety; but they are likely to resume if and when numbers increase. MSMAN still continues to welcome 15-20 families a week who arrive by other means of transport, either on their own or with the help of nonprofits in border states. Additionally, there are over 360 migrant families (1.2k+ individuals) living in hotel shelters at the moment, most of whom continue to require ongoing support from mutual aid. Without work permits, newly-arrived migrants struggle to find jobs and are regularly targets of wage theft and abusive working conditions. Coupled with the limited resettlement support provided by OMS, many families remain unable to become self-sufficient and move out of shelters.
“We have come a long way in the past year, but we still have a lengthy road ahead of us,” said Alejandra S. Sky, core organizer with MSMAN. “It is past time for the local and federal government to stop treating this as an emergency situation and commit to long-term solutions and support. The community has led the way, all the government has to do is follow.”
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