The autumn of 2021 delivered a shock to the state of Texas. More than 9,000 migrants crossed the border on a September day into the town of Del Rio and huddled in a tent camp under a bridge. Thousands more came later that week from countries all over the world, challenging the town’s ability to handle them.
The following spring, Texas opened a new frontier of its own. On April 13, a bus pulled into Union Station in Washington, D.C., carrying 24 migrants who had been offered a free ride from the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas, chartered by the state’s Division of Emergency Management. More buses arrived in the capital over the next several days.
Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, suggested that many of the migrants had been “tricked” into riding the buses by the Texas governor, Greg Abbott. The White House called it a “political stunt.”
For a time, as the first buses were arriving in Washington, D.C., it looked to all be for show.
For a time, as the first buses were arriving in Washington, D.C., it looked to all be for show.
But Mr. Abbott’s administration kept offering free tickets to destitute migrants. Each migrant is represented here by one dot.
But Mr. Abbott’s administration kept offering free tickets to destitute migrants. Each migrant is represented here by one dot.
Soon, buses began arriving in New York and Chicago.
Soon, buses began arriving in New York and Chicago.
Then Philadelphia.
Then Philadelphia.
The program paused in early 2023 during a lull in crossings, officials said, but it soon resumed. And grew.
The program paused in early 2023 during a lull in crossings, officials said, but it soon resumed. And grew.
Buses began arriving in Denver, and would eventually have a more pronounced impact there than perhaps any other city.
Buses began arriving in Denver, and would eventually have a more pronounced impact there than perhaps any other city.
The destinations were cities run by Democrats who supported the Biden administration’s more open immigration policy.
The destinations were cities run by Democrats who supported the Biden administration’s more open immigration policy.
Soon, some neighborhoods in those cities started looking like Texas border towns.
Soon, some neighborhoods in those cities started looking like Texas border towns.
Shelters filled up. Then hotels rented by city officials to house the newcomers were overflowing.
Shelters filled up. Then hotels rented by city officials to house the newcomers were overflowing.
As migrants heard about free housing and free buses, more came.
As migrants heard about free housing and free buses, more came.
In the two years since Mr. Abbott dispatched the first buses from Texas, the busing program has turned into a significant part of the country’s transportation infrastructure for migrants.
A New York Times analysis of state records, immigration data collected by Syracuse University and records from the destination cities, as well as interviews with dozens of migrants, city officials and immigration organization leaders, show that the Texas program is continuing to expand its reach — new target cities include Boston, Detroit and Albuquerque — and helping to reshape migration across the United States.
The impact of busing on cities
During the first two years of the busing program, about 684,000 migrants told border officials they planned to live in the cities below, based on their immigration court assignments. That’s far more than the number of people who were bused, but the program’s impact varied across the cities.
Sources: Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University (hearing locations); Texas Division of Emergency Management (busing figures)
Note: Not all migrants end up in the cities where their hearings are set, and people who were bused to a given city did not necessarily have hearings scheduled there.
Mostly Venezuelans
Most of the people bused in the first two years of the program were from Venezuela. In some cities, the number of Venezuelans bused by Texas was nearly as large as the overall number who indicated they planned to travel there, based on where their immigration cases were scheduled.
Sources: Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University (hearing locations); Texas Division of Emergency Management (busing figures)
Note: Not all migrants end up in the cities where their hearings are set, and people who were bused to a given city did not necessarily have hearings scheduled there.