The first bus arrived in mid-April, but city officials and non-governmental organizations working with the migrants — who travel voluntarily — have grown increasingly concerned about the pace of arrivals in recent weeks. The mayor’s office is calling for the DC Armory, Joint Base Bolling, Fort McNair or another “appropriate federal site in the National Capital Region” to be turned into a processing center for immigrants. The regional reception center established to help immigrants in Montgomery County, Maryland, is operating, according to the request. Abbott’s office says DC’s request for help proves his point about the need for the White House to better address its immigration policies. “Washington finally understands what Texans face every day as our communities are overwhelmed and overrun by thousands of illegal immigrants thanks to President (Joe) Biden’s open border policies,” Abbott spokeswoman Renee Eze said in a statement. on CNN. “If the mayor wants a solution to this crisis, she should call on President Biden to take immediate action to secure the border — which he has failed to do,” Eze added. Bowser requested a federal solution Thursday. “I have requested the deployment of the Guard for as long as we need the Guard to deal with the crisis that we expect to escalate,” Bowser said. “The number of people crossing the border seeking asylum we expect to increase. And we need to make sure there is a national response, not an ad hoc, city-by-city, state-by-state response.” Bowser also highlighted the differences in the situation in DC compared to other states. “We need to ask the President for the use of our National Guard, which we know can be very helpful in these logistical matters.” Dr. Christopher Rodriguez, director of D.C.’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said in the letter that the situation is “unsustainable.” “To be clear, I recognize the magnitude of this request,” the letter states. “DCNG has been there for our local community for extended missions in the past, most recently for the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rodriguez added. “This humanitarian crisis is no less important.” D.C. has already facilitated Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance with a $1 million grant, Bowser said at a press conference Thursday. CNN reached out to the D.C. National Guard. A Defense Department spokesman confirmed Bowser’s request in a statement to CNN. “We can confirm that the Secretary of Defense received a request from the DC Mayor’s office, but as this is a pending request, we are not prepared to comment on the specifics of the request at this time,” the spokesperson said. “The secretary is taking this request for help very seriously. He and his team are working on the details and will respond to the mayor’s office once a decision is made.”
