Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has long argued that the federal government’s failure to enforce immigration laws already on the books has forced the state to take extreme measures to defend and protect itself from what it argues is an invasion. The Republican governor has also held fast to the belief that border states should not shoulder the burden of an unprecedented flow of illegal immigration and its concomitant problems. Plenty of ‘sanctuary’ locations around the country spoke warmly about how they welcome “migrants,” making Abbott’s decision to begin Texas’ busing operation in April of 2022 a relatively easy one. Maybe then the issue would begin to get the attention it deserves, he figured.
Months later, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis helped highlight how effective of a strategy that could be when he sent illegal border crossers to Martha’s Vineyard.
While liberal Fox News host Jessica Tarlov said she originally dismissed such moves as political stunts, she has since changed her tune.
During a conversation about the election and how events like the group of illegal immigrants recently beating up NYPD officers could sway voters in swing states, “The Five” co-host acknowledged on "Real Time With Bill Maher" how the broader effort to transport the illegal border crossers up north has really vindicated Abbott and DeSantis.
“It ended up being actually good on Governor Abbot to start busing immigrants all over the country,” she said, according to Mediaite. “When he started … him and DeSantis, I thought, ‘oh, this is just a political stunt. It’s ridiculous.’ And now that you have J. B. Pritzker and Mayor Adams and Kathy Hochul and the mayors at Baltimore and D.C. saying, ‘we absolutely cannot sustain this influx,’ everybody feels like they live in Eagle Pass now and has a lot of sympathy for that.”
According to figures Abbott’s office posted on Jan. 26, Texas has transported:
- Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
- Over 37,500 migrants to New York City since August 2022
- Over 31,200 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
- Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
- Over 16,000 migrants to Denver since May 18
- Over 1,500 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14
After the recent assault on the NYPD cops, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has sharpened her tone, telling reporters last week, "Get them all and send them back," referring to the suspects.