OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pushed back this week on a claim from a reporter who suggested that his Republican Party was responsible for the chaotic southwestern border, which has seen record illegal immigration and drug smuggling since President Joe Biden took office.
On his first day in the Oval Office, Biden signed a stack of executive orders, many of which reversed former President Donald Trump’s immigration and border enforcement policies that many credited with reducing illegal crossings and drug smuggling to their lowest level in decades.
In the years since, and as millions have crossed illegally into the U.S., many of them being released into the interior and told to report at a date in the future to an immigration or asylum hearing, Republicans have lambasted Biden and his Department of Homeland Security chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, blaming them for the chaotic situation that they say is about to get even worse if Title 42 is allowed to lapse.
But ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, in an interview with Abbott on Monday, appeared to blame Republicans for the situation, suggesting their rhetoric — and not Biden’s policies — have created the crisis.
“You talk about border walls. You talk about open borders,” Raddatz said, “[But] I don’t think I’ve ever heard President Biden say, ‘We have an open border, come on over.’ But people I have heard say it are [pointing at Abbott] you, our former president Trump or [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis.
“That message reverberates in Mexico and beyond. So they do get the message that it is an open border. Smugglers use all those kinds of statements,” Raddatz added.
But Abbott pushed back on her suggestion, noting, “It was known from the time that Joe Biden got elected that Joe Biden supported open borders. It is known by the cartels.”
He added: “They have sophisticated information. Whether or not the Biden administration is going to enforce the immigration laws or not is known across the world, but most importantly known among the cartels.”
Raddatz also seemed skeptical about keeping Title 42 in place because it was a pandemic-era rule that allowed border agents to expel people from the U.S. who crossed illegally quickly. But Abbott pushed back on that assumption as well.
“Whether it’s COVID or some other issue,” Abbott countered. “When you have people coming from across the globe without knowing at all what their health and status is, that almost by definition is a public health risk,” noting that alone provides “every reason” to keep Title 42 in place.
“Some do come across with COVID and no one knows exactly who comes across with COVID. These people are not tested when they come across the border. And, so, who knows how many people have COVID? Who knows what other type of disease they may have? The answer is nobody knows, because nobody is testing them,” Abbott said.
WATCH:
Watch Martha Raddatz try to falsely blame Ron DeSantis, Greg Abbott, and Donald Trump for the border crisis that Joe Biden created. pic.twitter.com/TGF7czB1mL
— MRCTV (@mrctv) December 19, 2022
After seeing millions cross into his state and the Biden administration’s refusal to tighten up security, Abbott began bussing willing migrants to Democrat-run cities, much to the chagrin of their leaders.
He noted in early September that his administration had sent the first busload of illegal migrants to Chicago after sending migrants to Washington, D.C., and New York City as well. The GOP governor argued that doing so provides “much-needed relief” to Texas border communities that have been overrun by illegal immigration since early in President Joe Biden’s term.
“President Biden’s inaction at our southern border continues putting the lives of Texans — and Americans — at risk and is overwhelming our communities,” the Texas governor noted in a press release.
In addition, Abbott appeared to taunt Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) who he said: “loves to tout the responsibility of her city to welcome all regardless of legal status.”
“Chicago is a welcoming city and as such has collaborated across various departments and agencies to ensure we greeted them with dignity and respect,” a spokesperson for Lightfoot’s office said in a statement, according to The Daily Wire. “As a city, we are doing everything we can to ensure these immigrants and their families can receive shelter, food, and most importantly, protection.”
