In San Antonio, Gov. Greg Abbott says his much-touted buses to D.C. carried as few as nine migrants

Gov. Greg Abbott's polarizing and highly publicized plan to ship migrants to Washington, D.C. has dispatched 10 buses, which carried as few as nine passengers and never more than 28, he said in San Antonio on Thursday.

"The number of the people on the buses varies, because it depends on how many people are in these local communities that are just standing around and that the local community has us put on the bus," the Republican governor said at a press conference following a "law enforcement roundtable" at the offices of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County.

In response to a reporter's question about the total number of migrants placed on the state-chartered buses, Abbott said he didn't know.

However, a day earlier, Abbott's office apparently had that number at its fingertips. Officials told the New York Post that the program has moved a total of just 152 migrants out of the state since Abbott initiated it on April 6, a move that drew national headlines and condemnation from immigrant-rights groups and the nation's top border official.

Abbott, who's running for a third term in November, has seized on anti-immigrant rhetoric as he looks to shore up his appeal with GOP voters. He's repeatedly claimed he's shipping migrants to D.C. because the Biden administration isn't enforcing immigration laws, a claim not backed up by federal data.

Under Abbott's order, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is charged with chartering buses to transport migrants to the nation's capital. While the vehicles can hold up to 40 passengers each, according to the New York Post report, basic math shows they've averaged just 19 per trip.

Abbott's office has issued news releases trumpeting the arrival of each bus, listing its exact arrival time and address to promote media coverage. "This busing strategy is part of Governor Abbott's response to President Biden’s ongoing failure to secure the border," all of the releases state.

The immigrants must volunteer to get on the buses, and they receive free meals during the roughly 24 hours or more of drive time between South Texas and D.C., according to a Washington Post report. The ability of Abbott's office to legally transport the migrants within the United States also signifies that the individuals have already begun claims to seek asylum in the country.

In comments to the New York Post, Abbott's office declined to reveal how much the bus trips cost taxpayers.

“As they do with all disaster response costs, [TDEM] will be submitting expenses for reimbursement from funds previously appropriated by the legislature for border security efforts," spokeswoman Renee Eze said. "Associated costs will be dependent on bus use.”

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