Biden administration to mull legal action after GOP governors relocate migrants

Volunteers outside of St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Martha's Vineyard

(Image credit: Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe/Getty Images)

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."

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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.

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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.