Bus Companies Benefit from Immigrant Releases​

Posted: Jun 5, 2014 6:39 PM
Updated: Jun 5, 2014 6:39 PM

McALLEN - The wave of illegal immigrants being released onto America's streets are a boon to bus lines, company employees said in McAllen.

Border Patrol agents have dropped off hundreds of illegal immigrants at area bus stations. The agents dropped off 100 immigrants at the McAllen station on Thursday. The immigrants were headed north, to cities like New York and Boston.

"The buses are fuller than usual. We try to accommodate (the passengers)," said Jose Zamarron, manager with Greyhound Bus Lines.

Zamarron said Greyhound had to add two new schedules to accommodate the increase in passengers.

Zamarron helps hundred of illegal immigrants every day.

"There are incidents. ... If a child has a fever, we go to the store and buy Tylenol," Zamarron said.

Zamarron has a lot of compassion for his passengers. Many have just the clothes on their backs and no money in their pockets.

"I have been with the company 30 years. I help as much as I can," he said.

Zamarron said he is grateful for the illegal immigrants. He receives commission for each ticket he sells. He said the extra cash helped him get out of debt.

Zamarron said he repays his passengers through kindness. He also listens to their stories.

Francisca Derivera said she left her native El Salvador because gangs threatened to kill her daughters.

"They were threatening my two oldest daughters ... they were going to kill them," Derivera said.

Derivera's husband works as a dishwasher in Maryland. She and her five children fled their home a month ago.

Random acts of kindness are common at the bus station. On Thursday, a man approached Derivera and gave her $40.

"When I heard that story I felt compassion. I am totally against the border," Gregory Lee said.

"My family is from Czechoslovakia. My grandmother came over here during World War II," he said.

"This part of the county is not ours. It belongs to the Mexican people.

How dare us put up borders and keep them away from their family," Lee said.

http://www.krgv.com/news/bus-compani...rant-releases/