After struggling to cope with the never-ending influx of illegal migrants swarming across the US-Mexico border, Texas governor Greg Abbott has begun to send busloads of migrants to other states.

This Friday morning, the first 50 (predominantly) illegal migrants arrived via bus in New York City. The bus stopped at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan after the 2000-mile journey from the border.

After disembarking from the bus, the migrants were left to fend for themselves. Some local charity workers arrived to help them secure hostels and homeless shelters for the night.

One of the migrants said he had been allowed to cherry-pick which area of the country he would prefer to live in. Jose Rodriguez, 38, told the MailOnline that he had chosen New York because he felt it presented the “best opportunities” for him.

Another, Bertillo Rosale, 54, said he wants to enjoy some sight-seeing in the city before he tries to get a job:

“I want to see the Statue of Liberty and the rest of the city. There are more job opportunities here, I will do anything I can. The bus here was good, we have all come from all over.”

New York is now the second city, the first being Washington DC, to have had migrants bussed in from border states while they await the processing of their asylum claims in the courts. Read more