Nearly two years ago, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) asked for private donations to bus immigrants to sanctuary cities. Despite fundraising efforts to offset the costs of the program, Abbott’s initiative has only managed to gather less than half of 1% of the approximately $150 million required today.
A new CNN analysis of Texas‘s records found that, at most, approximately $550,000 has been raised as of Friday.
After a review of state records, CNN discovered that many donations submitted online, by mail via check, credit card, or bank transfer, do match the funds received by the state. This could be because the donations were rejected by banks or credit card companies.
Records showed the largest donation made to Abbott’s program was $900,000, but the check bounced, CNN could not reach the woman whose name was recorded, and the official phone number submitted to the state was disconnected.
Abbott’s office published the $900,000 contribution online in September, bringing the program’s donation total to more than $1.3 million. However, in December, the count was recalibrated, dropping down to $460,000.
Abbott announced his charter bus plan in response to President Joe Biden lifting Title 42, shortly after asking Texans to make personal donations to the program.
“Securing the border does not come cheap. Securing the border would cost Texas nothing if the federal government was doing its job. But because Joe Biden is not securing the border, the state of Texas is having to step up and spend taxpayer money doing the federal government’s job,” Abbott said in April 2022.
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Since 2022, Abbott has bussed over 100,000 migrants to predominantly Democratic-led cities such as New York, Denver, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. But Texas taxpayers are footing the bill for relocating migrants, with CNN estimating it has cost about $1,500 to relocate each migrant.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Abbott’s office for comment.
