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The Democratic Party has taken it upon itself to label any Republican who refers to the immigration crisis at the southern border as xenophobic. However, now that Mayors Eric Adams and Muriel Bowser are speaking out in despair over the arrival of migrants to their localities, a deafening silence has become apparent.
For years both Adams and Bowser have reminded that both New York City and Washington, D.C., are sanctuary cities where local law enforcement will not be able to cooperate with federal immigration agencies. These are locations that —in theory— should be willing to receive illegal migrants; however, as the influx increases, the discourse of both mayors is aimed at highlighting a crisis in which they desperately ask for funds from the federal government.
Since Joe Biden took office, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has demanded a solution to the border crisis that has caused more than 4,000 migrants to enter the country illegally daily, but so far, federal authorities have not responded, and the situation is getting worse every day.
Migration crisis knocks at their doors
Biden’s silence and that of the Democrat authorities exhausted Abbott’s patience, who decided to start sending buses with thousands of immigrants to these sanctuary cities, which, as they claimed, would be willing to receive them.
In 2016, just days after President Trump won the presidential election, Bowser issued a statement reaffirming that DC is a sanctuary city. Adams tweeted the same when he campaigned in 2021: “Yes, New York City will remain a sanctuary city under an Adams administration”.
Now Bowser is calling for the deployment of the National Guard to address what she has called a “humanitarian crisis”; while Adams continues to demand federal funds.
The mainstream media had ignored the massive arrival of illegal immigrants in Texas that now surpassed record numbers. However, now they have covered the statements of both Democratic mayors blaming Abbott for generating a crisis in those cities.
Axios, for example, reported that New York and Washington were “overwhelmed” and that “officials say they are not prepared to handle the massive influx of migrants, in large part due to communication issues with Texas.”
CBS News noted that Adams is furious with Abbott and The Washington Post reported that Adams criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott for sending buses, which raises a question: If sanctuary cities are willing to receive immigrants, why complain to Abbott for sending buses?
Both mayors have expressed outrage at receiving just over 10,000 migrants, but states like Texas receive at least that many a day and some 200,000 a month.
“It’s just interesting to see some of these mayors who have invited and have created sanctuary cities to suddenly start complaining that they’ve got a few thousand immigrants when we’re dealing with millions.” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“New York is a sanctuary city. Mayor Adams said they welcome in illegal immigrants, but now that they have to deal with the reality of it they’re suddenly flummoxed and cannot handle it”, Abbott said during an interview.
Pentagon won’t send National Guard to sanctuary city
Despite Mayor Bowser’s desperate plea, the Pentagon does not seem to see the immigrants’ arrival in DC as a crisis either, as it refused the Democratic mayor’s request.
According to a copy of a letter sent to the city and accessed by The Associated Press, the DOD said the use of the D.C. National Guard would be inappropriate and would harm the overall readiness of its elements, forcing some of them to cancel or alter their military training.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejected a similar request from D.C. a few days ago, and Mayor Muriel Bowser had said she would send a more specific proposal. Bowser had originally asked for an indefinite deployment of 150 National Guard members per day, as well as a suitable federal location to be used as a shelter and processing center, citing the D.C. Armory as a reasonable location.
Now that the Pentagon is denying assistance to the sanctuary city, it remains to be seen what will be the reaction of the Democratic authorities, who had silently decided to ignore the border crisis and are now desperate in the face of the small number of migrants arriving in their cities.
Sabrina Martín Rondon is a Venezuelan journalist. Her source is politics and economics. She is a specialist in corporate communications and is committed to the task of dismantling the supposed benefits of socialism // Sabrina Martín Rondon es periodista venezolana. Su fuente es la política y economía. Es especialista en comunicaciones corporativas y se ha comprometido con la tarea de desmontar las supuestas bondades del socialismo