Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and copycat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have shipped thousands of migrants to areas including New York City, Chicago, Martha’s Vineyard, and Washington, D.C., the overwhelming majority of whom were sent by fascist governor DeSantis. They’re able to do this and still sleep at night because they’re craven, but also because they don’t view these migrants as human beings in the first place. To them, the migrants have no names, hopes, or aspirations.
But Lever Alejos has a name, hopes, and aspirations. He’s among the migrants sent to the nation’s capital by Abbott. Unlike many migrants, Alejos, who is originally from Venezuela, has no family or friends here. He’s alone. He took Abbott up on the Texas taxpayer-funded bus ride this past July, The New York Times reports. Just a few months later, he’s doing well.
RELATED STORY: Borderland advocate says Greg Abbott's busing stunt is having a positive effect he didn't intend
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The New York Times reports that Alejos stayed at a homeless shelter after arriving in D.C. this past July. “Two months later, Mr. Alejos is making between $600 to $700 a week, saving up to buy a used car and planning to move out of the shelter.” He initially found work in construction, but after a reaction to chemicals used during his job, found other work stocking concession stands at various events. He’s since been approached about other jobs, including dishwashing and serving.
“I always show initiative, performing extra tasks here and there that my supervisor notices,” he told The New York Times. “This could lead to something bigger; I’m gaining experience.”
It’s also aiding his family, still behind in Venezuela. Alejos had sold his machine repair shop—his life’s work—for $750 in order to fund his journey. Since arriving to the U.S. and finding work, he’s been able to replace his basics, like clothes and shoes. He sends $150 every month to his son. “Christopher’s quality of life has improved 100 percent since I came to this country,” he continued in the report.
Alejos told The New York Times that he felt “fortunate the governor put me on a bus to Washington. It opened up doors for me.” Borderland advocates have also said Abbott’s stunt has had other effects he didn’t intend, like bringing organizations aiding asylum-seekers and other migrants closer together.
“What used to be a very specific borderland issue, now, because of Gov. Abbott’s initial response—his tactics of busing migrants to other parts of the country—has actually brought us into closer contact with colleagues in other communities,” Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center Executive Director Marisa Limon Garza told Border Report earlier this month. New York City officials who’d received migrants from Texas had been in the state to meet with borderland advocates.
“You can believe we are going to start seeing more of a network of support that, yes, is connected to the border, but it’s not going to be us being the only group carrying the water,” Limon continued. “Instead, it will be more organizations, more municipalities, and governments taking a concerted effort to work together in a humanitarian response to meet the needs of people on the move.”
Republicans and others who oppose immigration falsely frame migrants as burdens (the reality is that undocumented people are ineligible for public benefits), when the conversation should be about how welcoming the migrants is human decency, and both beneficial to them and our nation overall. In Maine and other states facing a labor shortage, immigrants could be key to filling open vacancies. “A recent study by Texas A&M University found the economy does better when the workforce includes more immigrants,” Press Herald reported.
But problem-solving that treats migrants humanely might not excite racist Republican voters as much as shipping them like animals to Martha’s Vineyard, which is what DeSantis carried out in recent days. In fact, there’s evidence that migrants were lured onto planes based on false pretenses, including false promises of benefits they weren’t at all eligible for. Boston-based Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) has since called for a criminal probe. While Alejo said he’s been able to keep his required immigration appointments, this might not be the case for other migrants bused and flown by Republican governors.
“Building on herculean pro bono team efforts with families and children in the Vineyard, we escorted 50 folks to a camp in Cape Cod,” LCR said. “The families and kids are safe. They are settling in and they are in good spirits. In the camp in Cape Cod, Lawyers for Civil Rights and our allies assigned immigrants to pro bono attorneys. This work will continue throughout the weekend with a team of volunteer attorneys and community supporters. We are connecting the immigrant families to services and resources.”
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Greg Abbott's stunt of busing asylum-seekers from Texas to D.C. has cost $1.6 million and counting