The second bus carrying migrants from the Texas-Mexico border to Los Angeles arrived in L.A. on Saturday afternoon.
The bus arrived at Union Station from Brownsville, Texas around 12:40 p.m.
The 41 migrants, who are from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Belize and Nicaragua, were recently paroled by the Border Patrol and are voluntarily making the 1,600-mile journey.
According to a spokesperson for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, the Mayor’s Office learned of the bus’ destination yesterday, and they quickly mobilized a welcome committee made up of city and county workers alongside a coalition of nonprofit organizations and faith partners.
A majority of the migrants were being reunited with family members or sponsors in Saturday. Those arriving spent the afternoon inside St. Anthony’s Church resting while medical checkups and guidance on legal resources were being offered. Children received toys and blankets.
Caseworkers from The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHRLA) also met with each family to gain an understanding of their personal situations.
“The city of Los Angeles believes in treating everyone with respect and dignity and that’s what we are going to do today,” said Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for Mayor Bass.
“Here in this parish is a place of safety and a place of welcome for all immigrants,” said Father Arturo Corral, Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
City and county officials, along with faith-based partners, said the migrants’ arrival was not a surprise and was something they had been preparing for since the fall of 2022.
This is the second group of migrants that have been bussed from Texas to Los Angeles; on June 14, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that a group of 42 migrants was bussed to L.A. from the city of McAllen.
“Texas’ small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a press release. “Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its sanctuary city status.”
Governor Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to charter buses to transport migrants from Texas to Washington, D.C. in 2022. Since then, Abbott has added New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and Denver as drop-off locations.
According to the press release sent out by Abbott’s office, more than 21,600 migrants have been transported to sanctuary cities across the country.
Los Angeles isn’t the only California city that has received migrants; in June, two private planes dropped off groups of migrants in Sacramento under the direction of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ office.
In a statement, the L.A. Welcomes Collective said that “Regardless of origin, transportation method or intent, the focus of the L.A. Welcomes Collective this Fourth of July weekend is to receive migrants with dignity and respect and in coordination with partners.”
Moving forward, L.A. city officials and its faith-based partners said they’re ready and prepared to accept future arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers.
“They are coming to Los Angeles to work, to contribute, to pay taxes but also to create economic opportunities for others as well,” said a CHRLA spokesperson. “Just the way that every other single immigrant has done that has made this city a city in which we are proud to call ourselves Angelenos.”