Sixth bus carrying migrants sent from Texas arrives in downtown LA

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Another bus carrying migrants sent from Texas arrived in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday morning, the sixth to arrive in the city since June 14, officials said.

The bus arrived at Union Station shortly before 9 a.m., according to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. Onboard were 23 adults and 13 children ranging in ages from 2 to 17 years old, the nonprofit said in a statement.

"In addition to receiving urgent humanitarian support services, such as food, water, clothing, hygiene kits, and legal immigration guidance, this group of asylum seekers will be connected with loved ones, family members, or sponsors in the region," CHIRLA said.

A spokesperson for Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that the city "has continued to work with City Departments, the County, and a coalition of nonprofit organizations, in addition to our faith partners, to execute a plan set in place earlier this year.

"As we have before, when we became aware of the bus yesterday, we activated our plan," said Zach Seidl, a deputy mayor of communications.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been orchestrating the sending of migrants from Brownsville, Texas, to California, claiming the state's border region is overwhelmed by immigrants crossing the Mexican border. Although the bus that arrived Thursday was believed to be from Brownsville, whether Abbott's office was involved in sending it was not immediately confirmed.

"Texas' small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Biden's refusal to secure the border," Abbott said in a statement after the first bus arrived in Los Angeles in June. "Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status. Our border communities are on the front lines of President Biden's border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this much-needed relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border."