RISING FAWN, Ga. - As a two states along the southern border of the US continue to bus thousands of migrants to Washington, D.C., concern is growing some on those buses are actually ending up in northwest Georgia.
More than 7,000 migrants from Texas and Arizona have been bused to D.C. in protest to President Joe Biden’s decision to lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that restricted migrant entry numbers by denying them a chance to seek asylum. The rule remains in effect under court order.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey call the practice a voluntary free ride - paid for by state taxpayers — that gets migrants closer to family or support networks.
Thursday, Dade County Sheriff Ray Cross posted on the sheriff’s office Facebook page about one such bus making a scheduled stop in Rising Fawn, Georgia, a small town of just over 3,000.
"Based off Sheriff Cross' conversation with the bus driver, it appeared as if the illegal immigrants were being encouraged to exit the bus at this location, with the impression that Chattanooga was within walking distance," the post read.
Rising Fawn, which is located just off Interstate 59 at exit 4, is about 25 miles southwest of the city of Chattanooga. The sheriff said he was concerned about the small town’s lack of resources to help the migrants.
"Sheriff Cross immediately got a translator, and created dialogue with the illegal immigrants, as well as the bus staff. After a short discussion with all the parties involved, the illegal immigrants chose to get back on the bus and continue their journey out of Dade County, and on to Washington, DC," the post reads. "Sheriff Cross spoke to the owner of the bus line and requested that he encourage his drivers not to drop off illegal immigrants in the rural areas of Dade County, where they have no resources, but preferably in a larger city, where resources are more readily available."
The sheriffs said he contacted state legislators as well as the governor's office about the situation. The sheriff said State Rep. Mike Cameron told him the governor’s office would contact the owner of the bus line.
In a statement released late Thursday evening, Rep. Mike Cameron wrote:
"I support what Sheriff Cross did. Dade County is a rural area and the individuals who exited the bus would have not had food, water or shelter if they had stayed off the bus. Dade County does not have the infrastructure to provide services to individuals like this
"I support what Governor Abbott is doing. However, there was no security on the bus; only an individual to monitor those on the bus and the driver. These buses need security to make sure the individuals in question get to their assigned destination. The bus company needs to handle this better."
Questions about if DC can handle those migrants were called into question earlier this month after Mayor Muriel Bowser requested the assistance of the National Guard in what she described as a "growing humanitarian crisis." That request was denied by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s food and shelter program has been sufficient.
A coalition of local charitable groups has been working to feed and shelter the migrants, aided by a $1 million grant from FEMA. But organizers have been warning that both their resources and personnel were nearing exhaustion.
Rising Fawn is located about 95 miles northwest of Atlanta.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story is being reported out of Atlanta