Chattanooga is a main stop for buses filled with immigrants being shipped to Washington, D.C. and New York City by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
The New York Post told of immigrants boarding a bus on Friday in Del Rio, Tex., that had a scheduled stop in Chattanooga before proceeding on to Washington and New York.
The article said about 40 immigrants were supposed to get off in Chattanooga, but the bus driver told the passengers there had been a change of plans and the bus would not stop here.
The Post said that brought a mutiny from the passengers, who said they had been planning to meet relatives here or travel on from Chattanooga.
So the bus eventually did make a Chattanooga stop.
The article said most of those getting out at Chattanooga made their way to the Chattanooga Airport.
The Post said those traveling on the buses are seeking asylum in the U.S. and are authorized for U.S. travel. They are not considered illegal, it was stated.
The Post reporter said those on the bus were given envelopes telling them their bus stop.
The buses regularly stop at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Lookout Valley with the bus driver getting off to rest and the migrants staying on the bus.
The long buses have the windows shaded so it is not possible to see inside from outside the bus.
Dade County Sheriff Ray Cross earlier in the week told the driver of one of the buses to continue on from Trenton, saying the rural county could not handle the influx.
However, officials in the office of Mayor Tim Kelly have had a more welcoming tone.
Joda Thongnopnua, chief of staff for the city, said, "We are aware that Chattanooga is apparently a stopping point for charter buses sent by the state of Texas to the East Coast carrying migrants following the legal process of asylum. We are coordinating a multi-agency response to ensure these individuals are able to connect with their families and safely arrive at their final destinations. This administration will respond with compassion to vulnerable people fleeing extremely difficult circumstances.
"It’s important to understand that these are migrants who have been screened by the Department of Homeland Security and are legally seeking asylum - which is a protected legal status."
The Texas governor has hit the Biden Administration for a lax border patrol, saying small ranchers in South Texas are being overwhelmed by the tide of those coming in from the South.