Following President Joe Biden’s remarks Thursday that Republicans use human beings as political “props,” Axios reported that White House officials and cabinet heads were set to meet Friday to discuss “litigation options” regarding GOP governors who are sending migrants around the country.
According to the outlet, a mention of potential litigation was included in planning documents.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently sent 50 migrants by plane to Martha’s Vineyard. In response, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting an investigation into the transportation.
“The use of human beings to score political points is first and foremost detestable,” Fried wrote in the letter. “Additionally, this maneuver raises serious legal questions and will have untold repercussions on the individuals caught up in the Governor’s political stunt.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also announced Thursday that two busses of migrants from Texas arrived “outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. early this morning.”
According to a press release, the buses dropped off over 100 migrants from the countries of Colombia, Cuba, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela.
Data provided to Axios indicates officials are now encountering an average of 8,500 migrants and asylum-seekers daily. Unnamed officials cited by the outlet said that border conditions in El Paso, Texas, and an overall surge in people from Venezuelans, Cubans and Nicaraguans at the border were also expected to be addressed at Friday’s high-level meeting.
“Texas will continue sending migrants to sanctuary cities like Washington, D.C. until President Biden and Border Czar Harris step up and do their jobs to secure the border,” said Abbott.
Previously, Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey sent thousands of migrants to Democrat run cities such as Washington D.C., New York and Chicago.
Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a tweet thread that “while other states may be treating people as pawns, here in Illinois, we are treating people as people,” and that his state would help the migrants arriving in the nation’s third largest city. He announced a disaster proclamation to free up resources and provide aid.
Like Fried and Pritzker, Biden categorized DeSantis and Abbott’s actions as “political stunts” during the 45th Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Gala to Kick Off Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Instead of working with us on solutions, Republicans are playing politics with human beings, using them as props,” he said. “What they’re doing is simply wrong. It’s un-American. It’s reckless.”
He also mentioned the Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as well as efforts by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to fix the country’s immigration system.
“And we have a process in place to manage migrants at the border,” said Biden. “We’re working to make sure it’s safe and orderly and humane.”
According to Axios, details of what might be proposed in the meeting regarding litigation against the GOP governors were unclear as of Thursday. It said the meeting was scheduled before “the DeSantis move” and was expected to include high-level officials at the White House and the departments of Homeland Security, State, Justice and Defense, including secretaries.
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