Andrew Stanton in Newsweek:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has reshaped the U.S. political landscape on immigration by busing migrants from Texas to Democratic-led sanctuary cities. Abbott, a Republican, in 2022 began busing migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to sanctuary cities that protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, amid an influx of migrants arriving to the southern border. There were more than 2.4 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2023 fiscal year, up from roughly 1.7 million in 2021, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The governor has faced substantial backlash over the policy, as critics accuse him of using migrants as political pawns. The White House, for instance, has slammed it as a “cruel, dangerous, and shameful stunt.” Abbott, however, has defended the move as necessary, pointing to Texas’ border towns becoming overwhelmed with migrants, and that sanctuary cities should be prepared to take in more. The divisive tactic has upended the political discourse surrounding immigration, adding pressure to President Joe Biden, who faces new criticism from fellow Democrats over his handling of immigration as sanctuary city mayors plead with the federal government to provide more resources to grapple with the migrant influx.
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