Research Note: Texas's Operation Lone Star Migrant Busing Program Increased Hispanic Homelessness in Destination...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Urban Studies

Background:

• Texas implemented a large-scale immigration program, busing over 100,000 migrants to sanctuary cities.
• Concerns arose regarding the program's impact on local homelessness rates, particularly among Hispanic populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal relationship between the Texas migrant busing program and Hispanic homelessness.
• To quantify the impact of state-sponsored migrant transportation on urban homelessness.

Main Methods:

• Utilized point-in-time homeless population data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Employed fixed-effects individual slope models analyzing administrative data from the Texas Governor's Office.
• Compared homelessness trends in cities receiving buses versus pre-busing periods.

Main Results:

• The Texas busing program correlated with a 36% annual increase in Hispanic homelessness in destination cities.
• No significant impact was observed on non-Hispanic homelessness rates.
• Findings align with the predominantly Hispanic demographic of the bused migrants.

Conclusions:

• The Texas migrant busing program demonstrably exacerbated Hispanic homelessness in recipient cities.
• Policy interventions are recommended to address and mitigate the adverse effects on this population.
• The study highlights the unintended consequences of state immigration policies on urban social services.