Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, announced last Thursday that a bus filled with migrants from Texas had reached Denver, Colorado.

This announcement was made in an official press release, which confirmed that the group had been transported from Texas to Denver and were deposited in the city's downtown area, according to Fox News.

Abbott expressed his concern for the overwhelmed border communities in Texas, which he feels are bearing the brunt of the recent surge in illegal immigration due to what he perceives as President Biden's 'catch and release' policy, with no court dates or tracking system in place.

"Until the President and his Administration step up and fulfill their constitutional duty to secure the border, the State of Texas will continue busing migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities like Denver to provide much-needed relief to our small border towns," Abbott declared in a statement.

Migration to Various Cities Across the US

Besides Denver, Abbott has facilitated the transport of migrants to several other cities across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. Philadelphia authorities reported the arrival of 34 asylum seekers on Wednesday and another 46 on Thursday.

These migrants, according to the reports, originate from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.

Since November, Philadelphia has seen 23 busloads of migrants in the city. These efforts have been part of Texas' strategy to mitigate the pressure on its border towns.

Chicago’s Response to Migrant Influx

In Chicago, one of the cities receiving migrants from Texas, newly-elected Mayor Brandon Johnson has taken steps to support the influx. Johnson has issued an executive order establishing the position of a "deputy mayor for immigrant, migrant, and refugee rights."

The official statement from Johnson's office clarified that "the new role is responsible for the coordination and communication between all applicable City departments and officials related to the City’s efforts to support newly arrived and established immigrants, refugees, and migrants."

This move indicates a constructive approach to managing the situation, aimed at offering support and integration for the newly-arrived individuals in the city.

Over the past year, Texas has transported more than 19,000 migrants to Washington, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia on over 400 buses, based on state statistics, as reported by CBS News.

This figure represents a small portion of the several hundreds of thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers released from federal border custody during this timeframe.

Cities Struggle with Migrant Inflow

Other major metropolitan areas have also received tens of thousands of migrants who have either found their way there independently or through aid from local border cities and humanitarian organizations.

Concerns have been raised about these cities' ability to accommodate an increasing number of migrants who lack financial stability and familial connections in the U.S. Additionally, these migrants cannot legally work until several months after filing an asylum claim in the severely backlogged immigration court system, currently handling over two-million pending cases.

Criticism of the Federal Government

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a centrist Democrat, has been notably critical of the Biden administration regarding the migrant crisis, charging the federal government with "failing" the city.

Adams himself has faced local backlash over plans to house migrants in public school gyms, citing a lack of space in existing shelters.

U.S. border agents have documented an unprecedented number of migrant apprehensions since President Biden took office. In the fiscal year 2022, Border Patrol made over two-million migrant apprehensions, setting a new record.