White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki dismissed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s recently announced plan to put illegal immigrants in his state onto a bus and send them to the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
“I think it’s pretty clear that this is a publicity stunt,” Psaki told Fox News’ Peter Doocy in the White House press room on Thursday. “I know that the governor of Texas, or any state, does not have the legal authority to compel anyone to get on a bus.”
Psaki continued, “His own office admits that a migrant would need to voluntarily be transported and he can’t compel them to because, again, enforcement of our country’s immigration laws lies with the federal government and not a state.”
Watch:
Abbott said Wednesday that illegal immigrants released into his state will be shipped to the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as border checkpoints struggle to manage the flow of people attempting to enter the United States and the Biden administration’s move to eliminate the Title 42 expulsion provision.
The state will provide charter buses to drop off migrants – many released into small Texas communities that officials say are overwhelmed – in Washington, the Republican governor said in a news conference.
“We are sending them to the United States Capitol where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border,” Abbott said.
The governor added, “With the end of Title 42 expulsions looming next month, Texas will immediately begin taking unprecedented action to do what no state has done in American history to secure our border. The new strategies announced today and next week will further strengthen our already robust response to the Biden border disaster, and we will use any and all lawful powers to curtail the flow of drugs, human traffickers, illegal immigrants, weapons, and other contraband into Texas.”
This is an excerpt from Fox News.
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