This NJ town could be the new arrival destination for migrants from Texas
❓ There are reports of migrants being dropped off in Phillipsburg, NJ
❓ The mayor says he does not know if it is true
❓ Photos have been circulating on social media
The mayor of a small town in Northwest New Jersey has launched an investigation to determine if charter busses are dropping migrants off in his town.
Photos purportedly of illegal immigrants getting off a white charter bus in Phillipsburg have been circulating on social media.
Mayor Randy Piazza says he has heard the talk in town and seen the photos and his administration has ordered his police department to begin an investigation.
Piazza says if true, it would be "out of the ordinary" and he wants to get to the bottom of it.
"The Town of Phillipsburg has received no prior notice of this nor was any permission granted by the Town to any legal authority for such an action," the mayor said.
Town officials say they have reached out to county, state and federal officials to see if they can confirm the arrival of migrants in Phillipsburg and where they might staying.
Where and when did this happen?
On Monday, a white charter bus was seen dropping off a group of men at the corner of Stockton and Sitgreaves streets in Phillipsburg.
Photos purportedly show about 10 men with suitcases getting off the bus, and then the bus leaving.
Piazza says police have those photos and others that show the license plate of the bus and are using the pictures to track the bus and contact the owner.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has confirmed that he has sent busses of migrants that have crossed the Southern border to New York City and Philadelphia.
Some of those busses have been stopping in towns and cities that have transit hubs including Trenton, Edison and Secaucus.
Other mayors have pushed back
Busses stopping in New Jersey were originally thought to be dropping off migrants so they could board a train for New York City, however, there have been multiple reports that some were remaining in the Garden State.
Edison Mayor Sam Joshi, a Democrat, has been very vocally opposed to allowing migrants to stay in his town.
Joshi ordered his police chief to seek out anyone in the U.S. illegally and send them back to Texas.
In January, Joshi said he had a charter bus on standby to transport any migrants back to the Lone Star State.
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora has expressed concerns about the cost to the city for providing services to migrant arrivals.
How many migrants are in New Jersey?
No one seems to know the answer to that question.
When the busses first began showing up in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy called the situation "manageable."
In the months that have followed, Murphy has refused to answer questions about how many migrants are in New Jersey, where they are staying or if there has been any cost to taxpayers.
Murphy did join New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and governors from other Northeast states in requesting billions in federal aid to deal with the influx of migrants.
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