Philadelphia says it’s ready to welcome migrants sent by bus from Texas with ‘open arms’

“If it is (Texas) Governor Abbot, they should re-examine their Christian values because they talk about it a lot, but they don’t do much.”

• Tom MacDonald/WHYY
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  WHYY reporter Tom MacDonald is a lifelong Philadelphia area resident who has worked in the region since the mid-1980s. Tom started in commercial radio covering the MOVE standoff with police for WFIL-AM. He was also City Hall Bureau Chief covering government and politics for more than a decade for WWDB-FM.
  Tom has been heard on numerous stations in the region during the decade he worked for Metro Traffic, doing news, traffic and weather.
  Tom has also been heard nationally, doing reports for NPR, ABC News Radio, NBC Radio, and CBS Radio.
  He has won the Associated Press award for his coverage of the protests of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia and a Religious Communicators award for a post-9/11 documentary he did with the late Peter Jennings.
  
  Tom MacDonald is a lifelong Philadelphia area resident who has worked in the area since the mid 1980s. Tom started in commercial radio covering the MOVE standoff with police for WFIL-AM. He was also City Hall Bureau Chief covering government and politics for more than a decade for WWDB-FM.
  
  Tom has been heard on numerous stations in the region during the decade he worked for Metro Traffic, doing news, traffic and weather.
  
  Tom has also been heard nationally, doing reports for NPR ,ABC News Radio, NBC Radio, and CBS Radio.
  
  He has won the Associated Press award for his coverage of the protests of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia and a Religious Communicators award for a post 9-11 documentary he did with the late Peter Jennings.

 Kimberly Paynter / WHYY

Artists Ian Pierce and Betsy Casañas created “Sanctuary City, Sanctuary Neighborhood,” a mural highlighting immigration issues in society located at 5ht and Huntingdon Streets in North Philadelphia.

A busload of migrants from Texas is expected to arrive in Philadelphia this morning Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced in a news release Tuesday afternoon. He said Philly is an ideal location to send the migrants as a sanctuary city.

Mayor Jim Kenney said the city will give whoever arrives on that bus all the help they need.

“We understand it’s on its way,” Kenney said Tuesday. “We’re not really sure where it’s at, we have a location set up to receive them, and we’ll receive them with open arms”

Kenney had strong words for Abbott and others who are sending the people who have crossed the border across the country.

“If it is Governor Abbot, they should re-examine their Christian values because they talk about it a lot, but they don’t do much.”

Kenney would not give specifics about the city’s plan to deal with the situation but did say this is something they have dealt with before.

“We’ve welcomed tens of thousands of Afghans, Ukrainians, and if you go back into our city’s history, every ethnic group that is here came as refugees for the most part, and these folks are no different,” he said. “We have human dignity, decency, and the responsibility to make their transition as smooth as possible, that’s what this country is all about.”

In his statement, Gov. Abbott said Philadelphia is just the latest drop-off location for his effort to draw attention to border crossings.

“Texas will continue doing more than any other state in the nation’s history to defend against an invasion along the border, including adding more sanctuary cities like Philadelphia as drop-off locations for our busing strategy,” Abbott said.

“Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has long-celebrated and fought for sanctuary city status, making the city an ideal addition to Texas’ list of drop-off locations.”

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