Abbott and DeSantis Secure the Last Laugh on Immigration Despite Accusations of 'Political Stunts'

The process of shipping illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities in places like New York and Washington, D.C. has become common fare over the last year or so. It wasn’t always like that, though. There was a time when it was a highly controversial move, inviting an onslaught of bad press, sometimes even from ostensible allies.

Governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis lived that backlash, being lambasted for providing transportation for illegal immigrants to sanctuary jurisdictions. They were accused of humanitarian abuses while even some Republicans claimed their policies were just “political stunts” that wouldn’t make a difference. DeSantis even managed to find himself under criminal investigation.

Well, the verdict is in, and Abbott and DeSantis have been vindicated.

ERIC ADAMS: "We need to control the border, we need to declare a state of emergency and we need to properly fund this national crisis." pic.twitter.com/wbGCyhRzB9

— Ben Kew 🏌️‍♂️ (@ben_kew) August 2, 2023

The entire point of transporting illegal immigrants to various blue areas was not to somehow empty border areas of illegal immigrants. That was never going to be possible for obvious reasons. The point was to force Democrats to face the problems they created and ultimately force them to act. Sure enough, New York City is so overwhelmed now by what is a relatively small amount of illegal immigrants (compared to Texas border towns) that Mayor Eric Adams is demanding the border be secured and that Biden declare a national state of emergency.

It’s a beautiful sight. Before you know it, Adams is going to be calling to fund the wall.

What choice does he have, though? His city is legitimately being overrun with illegal immigrants, many of which are squatting in hotels or on sidewalks. There aren’t enough shelters, clothes, and food, and unlike past waves of illegal immigrants, who typically had family to unite with, many of those in New York City seem to be completely disconnected. That’s created a situation where they don’t get absorbed into the broader U.S. workforce but have become an ongoing burden for Adams’ government.

And to be sure, New York City is just a microcosm of a much bigger issue. The federal government is scrambling to build entire cities to house the influx of illegal immigration. Border facilities are completely swamped. The Border Patrol does not have enough manpower. It’s a disaster, and Adams has been left no other choice but to finally acknowledge it. Will Joe Biden listen to him?

None of this is to say any illegal immigrant should be treated inhumanely. They are human beings, and many are just doing what the Biden administration actively encouraged them to do. If you were living in Honduras, wouldn’t you come given the open border policies of the current president? This begins and will hopefully eventually end in Washington, D.C. Until federal officials start taking this situation seriously and really cracking down on illegal crossings, people will keep coming, and tragically, people will keep dying.