Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott blasted President Joe Biden’s visit to El Paso on Sunday, claiming that the president has “no plans” to enforce immigration laws.
Abbott shared the words during an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo.
“Biden is there today to look at a sanitized El Paso so that he can do all he can to help and aid the illegal immigrants as opposed to stopping them from coming into our country,” he said.
President Biden’s border visit today is to a sanitized version of El Paso.
He has no plans to enforce federal immigration laws.
Biden’s plan will only entice MORE illegal crossings.
Texas will continue our historic border mission to protect our state. pic.twitter.com/UelZRg0Zts
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 8, 2023
Abbott’s criticisms also come after authorities in El Paso removed migrant encampments ahead of the president’s planned Sunday visit. Cleanup occurred at the city’s downtown bus station and at the shelter near Sacred Heart Church, according to a report by the New York Post.
The report added that six buses with mostly Venezuelan migrants left the city into Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez, along with police escorting other migrants back to Mexico along a pedestrian crossing.
Former Republican Rep. Mayra Flores also condemned the city’s attempt to clear migrant camps before Biden’s arrival.
“Why not show him what our border community and law enforcement officials are dealing with on a daily basis?” she asked.
El Paso clears downtown of expansive migrant camps ahead of Biden visit.
Why not show him what our border community and law enforcement officials are dealing with on a daily basis.
— Mayra Flores Vallejo (@MayraFloresTX34) January 6, 2023
The National Border Patrol Council spoke out against the El Paso changes ahead of Biden’s visit in a Twitter post on Friday.
“El Paso being cleaned up as if nothing unusual ever happened there. Just in time for Biden’s ‘visit to the border,” the group tweeted. “We suggest just landing in Des Moines, Iowa and telling him it’s El Paso. He’ll never know the difference.”
El Paso being cleaned up as if nothing unusual ever happened there. Just in time for Biden's "visit to the border".
We suggest just landing in Des Moines, Iowa and telling him it's El Paso. He'll never know the difference.
— Border Patrol Union – NBPC (@BPUnion) January 6, 2023
National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd told Fox News on Saturday that Border Patrol agents are discouraged by Biden’s approach.
“We’re beyond frustrated that it’s taken him two years. We’re beyond frustrated that he allowed this issue to get as bad as it is,” Judd said. “He’s not coming to the border of his own accord. He would have done that a long, long time ago.”
Judd said he believes Biden is visiting the border now due to pressure from media and some fellow Democrats, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has criticized Washington’s handling of the crisis.
Biden’s latest announcement concerning migrants includes a plan to allow 30,000 people per month from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua to enter the U.S. The policy would also expand Title 42 expulsions to include all four countries.
Opponents argue that the changes provide no real solution to migrants crossing the border. The Biden plan instead switches the numbers around while failing to lower the number of overall migrants entering the U.S.
Title 42 has been kept in place by the Supreme Court. As The Daily Wire previously reported, Customs and Border Protection officials warned lawmakers that approximately 50,000 foreigners were waiting to unlawfully cross into the United States once Title 42 ended in December.
An order from Chief Justice John Roberts stayed a lower court’s ruling, which justices extended to give the court time to consider both sides’ arguments.