First buses of migrants leaving Texas arrive in Los Angeles

AUSTIN, Texas - The first buses of migrants departing from Texas arrived in Los Angeles Wednesday, June 14, according to Gov. Greg Abbott.

In a tweet, Abbott said, "migrants will be sent to sanctuary cities, including LA, until [President Biden] can secure the Texas border."

But one local immigration attorney says this was a new group for Abbott to target.

"They weren't even Mexicans. It used to be he would beat on Mexicans. These were Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Hondurans and a couple of people from Africa," said Thomas Esparza, with The Law Office of Thomas Esparza Jr., P.C.

According to activists in Los Angeles, migrants told them they were on the buses for about 23-hours without food or water. 

During a press conference Thursday afternoon, FOX 7 Austin asked Gov. Abbott about the treatment of migrants dropped off in LA.

"I'll be very clear, they had abundant water and food supplies throughout the entire trip," Gov. Abbott said.

Many people, including the mayor of Los Angeles, have criticized Governor Abbott's attempt at securing the border by bussing migrants off to democratic-led cities.

LA mayor Karen Bass released a statement saying in part, "It is abhorrent for an elected official to use human beings as a pawn in a political game."

RELATED: Dozens of migrants from Texas arrive in Los Angeles

When Bass took office, she said the city was prepared for this kind of event, and advocates agreed.

"They are coming with hope that they can keep themselves and their children safe, so instead of treating them like political props here in Los Angeles, we will treat them with the dignity they deserve as human beings," said social justice lawyer Lindsay Toczylowski.

"The kids are here, they are tired, they're hungry, but there's a lot of relief that they're here in a place where we have toys available for them, we have folks here to take care of them," said Toczylowski.

While many Los Angeles residents have been welcoming, others say Governor Abbott is not helping with LA's homeless crisis.

"Our country right now is not able to sustain so many people we're not. I mean everything is super expensive we're barely making it as it is, and the deficit is huge, so I feel for them, I have compassion for them, they're human beings, but they need to go home," said Los Angeles resident, Sonia.

It’s unclear when and where the migrants will be moved. Border patrol officials say while they process migrants at the border, they don't have anything to do with what happens to them after they make it into the United States.