Stop ‘Unjust Bussing’ Of Migrants, NJ Latino Pastor Group Demands

NEW JERSEY — A coalition that serves hundreds of churches across New Jersey issued a statement “condemning the unjust bussing of migrants to East Coast cities without services” on Wednesday.

Republican governors Doug Ducey of Arizona and Greg Abbott of Texas have been sending buses filled with Latin American migrants and refugees from their states to Washington D.C. and New York City for months, NPR recently reported. Some of the newly arrived immigrants have had final destinations that include New Jersey.

The New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers is one of several groups criticizing the two governors. The coalition’s president, the Rev. Raul Ruiz, and vice president, the Rev. Bolivar Flores, issued a statement on behalf of the group:

“Over 6,000 migrants have been sent from Texas and Arizona to Washington D.C. since April. That is more than 6,000 people entering the United States legally through our Southern border, coming to the Land of Opportunity, fleeing dangerous situations, such as the worst economic crisis in Latin America in over 120 years, and trying to give their families a brighter future … These innocent human beings are sent deep into the United States far away from their homes and are dropped off with no assistance. Some migrants reported being forced to get on the bus, causing them to cancel their plans for establishing themselves in the United States.”

“The migrants sent to the East Coast from Texas and Arizona are not connected with local immigration services; they are not directed towards shelters, offered welfare applications, or otherwise connected with resources,” Ruiz and Flores continued.

“How can they apply for citizenship if they are pushed off a bus with no place to stay, food to eat, or directions?” Flores questioned. “These people are fleeing poverty only to become homeless in America.”

According to Ruiz and Flores:

“The NJ Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers stands with the migrants purely looking for a fresh start. We hold the actions of Gov. Ducey and Gov. Abbott — treating human beings like unwanted cargo — to be deplorable. Together we pray that both political parties take action to mitigate our nation’s border crisis, that federal, state, and local governments work together to support migrants as they transition into the United States and that all people come to see one another as fellow brothers and sisters; not as enemies, competition or burdens.”

“Every migrant comes to America with the same goal: a safe place to live and a way to make an honest living,” Ruiz said.

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