As the debate on America’s immigration policies continues to evolve, Republican governors have begun transporting migrants to more Democratic-leaning cities throughout the U.S. While some support the move, arguing that immigrants should be moved to what have been deemed sanctuary cities and locations where they can be better supported, others object and argue that the new policy is inhumane and carries racist undertones.
Two of the main proponents of immigrant relocation are Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both Republicans. In September, DeSantis organized flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, an island in Massachusetts, for 50 Venezuelan migrants. DeSantis said it would be better to move the migrants to a sanctuary city — a locality that has designated itself a safe place for immigrants — and that many immigrants in Texas would eventually make their way to Florida. His state has set aside $12 million to continue relocating migrants.
“If you have folks that are inclined to think Florida is a good place, our message to them is that we are not a sanctuary state,” DeSantis told reporters at a press event. “It’s better to be able to go to a sanctuary jurisdiction, and yes, we will help facilitate that transport for you to be able to go to greener pastures.”
The Florida governor also argued that the responsibility of caring for migrant individuals “shouldn’t all fall on a handful of red states.” Once migrants cross the border into the U.S. and are processed by federal authorities, they are released from custody, typically in border states, and allowed to move throughout the country during their immigration court proceedings. Arizona is among the states that has also relocated migrants to other cities throughout the U.S.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced a 2.2% increase in unique enforcement encounters along the Southwest border from July to August 2022. The agency attributed the increase to failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. Both DeSantis and Abbott have attributed their decisions to relocate immigrants to the Biden administration’s immigration policies, which they say are not tough enough. “Because Joe Biden is not securing the border, the state of Texas is having to step up and spend Texas taxpayers’ money doing the federal government’s job,” Abbott said at an April press conference.
Abbott himself bused hundreds of migrants to Washington, D.C., earlier this year, even arranging to have them dropped off outside the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris. The vice president, Abbott claimed, “has yet to even visit the border to see firsthand the impact of the open border policies she has helped implement.”
The move led many to argue that the exercise of relocating migrants is more political ploy than a crisis response. In a television interview with CBS, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) called relocation efforts “political theater” and said migrants are “being used as political pawns to get publicity” and are not being treated like human beings.
Others have questioned whether relocation violates the human rights of migrants. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland questioning the legality of relocation efforts, even arguing that some migrants were tricked into leaving under false pretenses.
In his letter, Newsom stated that some migrants had reported that they were approached by recruiters and offered transport with the understanding that they would receive expedited access to work authorizations. “I urge U.S. DOJ to investigate whether the alleged fraudulent inducement would support charges of kidnapping under relevant state laws,” Newsom wrote. Both DeSantis and Abbott have said that relocated migrants signed release forms, consenting to relocate.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, meanwhile, has said that the relocation stunts are throwing federal processing systems “out of whack.” In a CNN interview, Mayorkas said it was challenging “when an official works, not in collaboration with us, but unilaterally, and that lack of coordination wreaks problems in our very efficient processing.” New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) also called for greater collaboration among state officials and the federal government. “We’re all supposed to come together and coordinate,” Adams told CNN.
Adams went on to explain that New York City is currently overwhelmed by newly arrived migrants. Given the ongoing debate on U.S. immigration policy, the discussion about relocating immigrants is likely to continue and to remain hotly contested.
For more background, see the March 2021 Congressional Digest issue on “ICE Detention.”
