Biden's plan to end Title 42 – a public health policy aimed at restricting asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border – is expected to result in another huge surge of people arriving at the border, claiming they are being persecuted in their homeland and need asylum. Set to take effect on May 23, the policy decision has led to concerns on both sides of the political aisle as the administration has acknowledged it has been preparing for up to 18,000 migrants a day.
Frustrated over the Biden administration's continued refusal to protect America's southern border, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) (pictured above) has responded with several innovative state enforcement strategies and a nearly $4-billion budget to carry them out. The idea that has attracted the most media attention is his idea to bus illegal immigrants from Texas to Washington, DC.
Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow with the Center for Immigration Studies, expresses doubts how effective that could be.
"I don't think that that is going to be impactful because it's a voluntary thing, and it's something that I think maybe makes his base feel gratified," Bensman tells AFN. "I don't know very many people period who want to go to Washington, DC.
"[But] I don't think that the majority of illegal immigrants are heading to Washington anyway. They're going to places where they have relatives and family and that sort of thing."
But Bensman likes Abbott's directive that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) conduct "enhanced safety inspections" of commercial vehicles coming off the international bridges from Mexico – a step he suggests could have a real impact.
"It has the potential to force the Mexican government to start enforcing against illegal immigration on its side," he explains. "It's actually an innovative policy that might force a Mexican compliance with what we want in Texas. I think the more tactful and interesting one is the slowdown of international trade at the busiest land ports in America."
In effect, according to Bensman, Abbott is counting on Mexico instead of Biden to defend the southern border.
Related article by Todd Bensman:
Texas governor's ideas may impact Mexican enforcement of mass migration
