Biden administration to mull legal action after GOP governors relocate migrants
Members of the Biden administration are meeting Friday to discuss pertinent immigration concerns, including how best to respond to the Republican governors relocating migrants in protest of President Biden's border policies, CNN reports.
A White House official said the meeting was planned before Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) sent two busloads of migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris' residence in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has also come under fire after flying two planes of migrants to Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday.
Biden admonished the two Republicans for "playing politics with human beings" and "using them as props," per CNN. During a news conference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said DeSantis and Abbott were using "tactics we see from smugglers in places like Mexico and Guatemala." The migrants were "reportedly misled about where they were headed," she continued, adding that the GOP governors "treated them like chattel in a cruel, premeditated political stunt."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In addition to mulling potential repercussions, officials are also discussing issues concerning operational support at the border and funding for increased resources in destination cities.
Attorneys from the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security will explore whether they can take legal action against the Republican governors for moving migrants out of their respective states.
Meanwhile on Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) published a letter asking the DOJ to consider kidnapping charges against DeSantis and Abbott.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Political cartoons for January 3Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include citizen journalists, self-reflective AI, and Donald Trump's transparency
-
Into the Woods: a ‘hypnotic’ productionThe Week Recommends Jordan Fein’s revival of the much-loved Stephen Sondheim musical is ‘sharp, propulsive and often very funny’
-
‘Let 2026 be a year of reckoning’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
‘Care fractures after birth’instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
US citizens are carrying passports amid ICE fearsThe Explainer ‘You do what you have to do to avoid problems,’ one person told The Guardian
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
