The Democratic mayor of El Paso, Texas finally stopped sending immigrants to sanctuary cities like New York, while continuing to be criticized for bowing to pressure from the White House.
A city spokeswoman told the El Paso Matters site that two buses that hit the road Thursday would be the last of 292 that have taken nearly 14,000 migrants from El Paso to New York and Chicago since the end of August.
Of those, more than 10,000 were sent to New York, prompting Mayor Adams to declare a state of emergency amid the sudden strain on the shelter system.
El Paso credited “the new political action for Venezuelans taken last week by the Department of Homeland Security,” which allows South American migrants to be sent to Mexico.
The avalanche of thousands of migrants sent from border states has caused an emergency in New York City.
Because of that, border agents “stopped sending migrants into the city this week due to a significant decrease in encounters,” El Paso city spokeswoman Laura Cruz-Acosta told local media.
“Two buses departed today for the remaining unsponsored migrants at local shelters, as well as for shelter operations at our hotel,” Cruz-Acosta said of the last buses heading north.
The welcome center used for the controversial show was also closed Thursday, the representative said.
El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D’Agostino previously hinted that the controversial shipments would soon end thanks to the new law.
“We realize we won’t need the buses, so right now we’re going to start running it differently,” D’Agostino told the New York Post last week.
The move comes as El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser remains under fire over the revelation that the Biden administration asked him not to declare an emergency out of fear of embarrassing the president.
He had openly discussed the White House request at a September 27 City Council meeting.
When Leeser was asked by Fox News if “the White House asked him not to declare a state of emergency,” the mayor of El Paso replied firmly, “Absolutely not.”
Contradictorily, when asked a similar question by KTSM, he said, “I’ve been asked not to, yes.”
On that occasion, he stressed that, although a request was made, he did not see it as pressure because it had already been “agreed” not to declare the emergency.
“If anyone knows me, they know someone wouldn’t push me to do something because I wouldn’t do it,” Leeser said, saying there was “a lot of benefit” for his city to work with the White House.
In a lengthy statement to KFOX14, Leeser said the White House and others “agreed with my decision that the circumstances did not warrant an emergency disaster declaration, as the crisis was handled collaboratively by all.
“Everyone worked together within their scope towards the same goals,” he insisted.
“My decision, taking into account the advice of our partners, has proven to be the correct one.”