Abbott defends sending migrants to New York

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defended a program he began nearly two years ago to shuttle migrants out of Texas to cities across the country Sunday, accusing President Joe Biden of using asylum-seekers as “political pawns,” amid criticism that he has done just that.

In New York, one of several cities Abbott has targeted, the influx of migrants has become unsustainable for city services. The city’s mayor, Eric Adams, has accused Abbott of playing politics with people's lives.

But “the person who's actually using illegal immigrants as political pawns is Joe Biden,” Abbott said Sunday during an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” claiming that Biden’s border policies are to blame for the program Abbott developed in 2022.

Biden has pushed for immigration reform since he arrived in the White House, but congressional Republicans have refused to support legislation, particularly in recent months as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has publicly urged members of his party not to deliver the important policy win for Biden months out from the presidential election.

Abbott also took a swing at Adams on Sunday, saying the mayor “is just aiding and abetting” the migrant crisis in the city “by having a sanctuary city status.”