Migrant Buses From U.S.-Mexico Border Dropped At 4 NJ Train Stations

SECAUCUS, NJ — On Dec. 30, migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border were dropped off at train stations in Secaucus and Edison, according to the mayors of those two towns. More buses dropped off migrants in Trenton and Fanwood train stations as well, according to reports.

"(Saturday) morning, the Secaucus Police Department and town officials received word from the Hudson County Executive that several busses transporting migrants en route to New York City had arrived at the train station at Secaucus Junction," said Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli. "We believe it was a total of four busses. The first bus arrived the morning of December 30."

"From what we understand, after being dropped at the train station the migrants then took trains to New York City," he said. "Based on reports from the State Police, this is now happening at train stations throughout the state."

NJ.com reports 10 buses carrying migrants from Texas and Louisiana dropped off immigrants at train stations in Fanwood, Edison and Trenton in the past week. Those 10 buses carried about 400 total migrants, and all were headed to New York City as their final destination.

Those 10 are in addition to the four buses that dropped people off at Secaucus Junction train station on Dec. 30.

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said he directed the bus that stopped in his town to turn around and go back to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. Joshi said he "instructed our law enforcement and emergency management departments to charter a bus to transport the illegal migrants right back to the southern Texas/Mexican border."

"Our border policies need to be strengthened to stop illegal migrants from entering our country," said Joshi, a Democrat. "Edison is a municipality with a significant immigrant population and I will continue to support only legal immigration."

This comes at a time when U.S.-Mexico border crossings are surging: In the month of December, U.S. Border Patrol encountered more than 225,000 people illegally crossing the border, the highest monthly total recorded since 2000 — 23 years, according to CNN. On multiple days in December, more than 10,000 people per day crossed the border into the U.S. They were all allowed entry into the United States.

It appears the bus drivers are trying to circumvent a brand-new policy New York City put in place seeking to stem the flow of migrants into the city:

During the week of Dec. 25, New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order regulating how and when busses carrying migrants from the border can enter the city and drop off passengers. These regulations, in part, require bus operators to give the city at least 32 hours advanced notice before arriving, and limit drop-off times to weekdays only between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and noon. Violators are subject to fines and impounding of their bus.

Mayor Adams and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, have repeatedly said their cities are overwhelmed by the surge of migrants entering their cities from the southern border.

The migrants are flowing into northern cities because Republican Texas Mayor Greg Abbott has a new policy in place, Operation Lone Star, where migrants are bused to northern cities that have previously declared themselves "sanctuary cities." Abbott said Texas has long been overwhelmed by the migrant surge, and should not be alone in responsibility for the new immigrants simply because it shares a border with Mexico.

According to this Dec. 29, 2023 press release from the state of Texas about Operation Lone Star, Texas has bused:

• Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
• Over 33,600 migrants to New York City since August 2022
• Over 28,000 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
• Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
• Over 13,800 migrants to Denver since May 18
• Over 1,300 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14

"It seems quite clear the bus operators are finding a way to thwart the requirements of the executive order by dropping migrants at the train station in Secaucus and having them continue to their final destination," said Secaucus Mayor Gonnelli. "Perhaps the requirements Mayor Adams put in place are too stringent and are resulting in unexpected consequences, as it seems the bus operators have figured out a loophole in the system in order to ensure the migrants reach their final destination, which is New York City."

Gonnelli also said "the state of New Jersey has a plan in place and we will be working closely with the governor’s office, all law enforcement agencies and the county to monitor this situation."

"At this point in time it seems train tickets are being secured for the migrants and they have been making their way to their final destination. We will continue to monitor this situation closely," said the town of Secaucus in a statement.