Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott delivered a sharp retort to Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams and fellow liberal mayors, accusing them of hypocrisy as they voiced concerns about the surge of undocumented immigrants in their sanctuary cities.
Abbott contended that these mayors "could not last a week in Texas."
The Republican governor's response came on the heels of Mayor Adams labeling him in unpleasant terms for orchestrating the transportation of undocumented immigrants via buses to sanctuary cities, including New York City and Chicago.
During an appearance on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime," Abbott responded to Adams' recent characterization of him as a "madman" for the controversial practice of busing migrants to New York.
Abbott said, "When I first heard that, I thought about Frank Sinatra singing, 'New York, New York,' when he's saying, 'If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere.'
"Well, the mayor may have made it to be mayor of New York, but he could not last a week in Texas," he continued. "They have so few migrants in New York compared to what we deal with every single day."
In cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, officials tout their sanctuary city designations, championing liberal ideals until the practical application of these policies reveals their inherent flaws, he stated.
"It's just outrageous that he would make a comment like that," Abbott continued. "What's maddening is the fact that in New York and Chicago, in D.C. and LA, and other places, they put out policies self-proclaiming that they're sanctuary cities, and they love to promote these liberal ideologies until they have to actually live up and apply them.
"It was clear that the policies of sanctuary cities and letting everybody live for free simply do not work. This is a day of reckoning for all of the United States, realizing that the liberal policies of open borders will not work in this country," he added.
Adams, an outspoken critic of the immigration challenges plaguing New York, has issued stark warnings about the potential for these issues to devastate his city. He has also expressed disappointment in what he perceives as needing more substantial support from President Joe Biden.
Reiterating his call for increased assistance from both the state and federal levels, Adams emphasized the urgent need to address the migrant crisis that he asserted last week poses a grave threat to New York City. According to his office, the city has witnessed the arrival of over 110,000 asylum-seekers since the spring of 2022.
New York City has secured approximately $140 million in federal funding for shelters, surpassing all other cities not situated along the southwest border.
Last spring, Gov. Abbott initiated a controversial practice of transporting migrants, aiming to protest border policies by dispatching them to cities often characterized as sanctuary cities, frequently under Democratic leadership. As of last week, Abbott reported that Texas has transported more than 35,000 migrants to these sanctuary cities, with New York receiving over 13,300 of them.
In response to inquiries regarding the Biden administration's utilization of GPS monitoring to trace asylum-seeking families, Abbott stated:
"You got to hand it to Joe; he got the direction right but the mileage wrong. The policy should be one mile further all the way across the Rio Grande; it should be remain in Mexico, not remain in Texas," Abbott said.
Gov. Abbott has instituted a series of tactics to deter the influx of illegals along the southern border. These strategies include the installation of floating buoy barriers in the Rio Grande, a measure that received approval from an appeals court just last week.
Additionally, razor wire coils have been placed along the river as part of these efforts.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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