Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have recently made headlines for sending immigrants to “sanctuary states,” i.e., states that do not cooperate with federal immigration officials. Both claim that they are trying to send a message to Joe Biden. In truth, they are simply playing to their base and using people as pawns.
DeSantis defended his policy, saying,
States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as “sanctuary states” and support for the Biden administration’s open border policies.
Similarly, Abbott stated,
The decision and the action to bus people from border communities was to alleviate the strain that’s put on the local communities along the border. I’m going to take the border to President Biden.
The anti-immigrant crowd is applauding these efforts and encouraging the two governors to continue using people as pawns.
The left has responded with denunciations and claims of kidnapping. Indeed, California Gov. Gavin Newsome has petitioned the Department of Justice (DOJ). In a letter to the DOJ, Newsome wrote that
several of the individuals who were transported to Martha’s Vineyard have alleged that a recruiter induced them to accept the offer of travel based on false representations that they would be transported to Boston and would be receive expedited access to work authorization.
Whether the claim is true or not, Newsome and other leftists are also using people as pawns. Newsome and his ilk are trying to make political hay by playing to their base, just as DeSantis and Abbott are doing. The innocent immigrants are caught in the middle of this stunt.
DeSantis and Abbott would not resort to such tactics if America had a rational, rights-respecting immigration policy.