How Greg Abbott Forced Democrats to Change

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has reshaped the U.S. political landscape on immigration by busing migrants from Texas to Democratic-led sanctuary cities.

Abbott, a Republican, in 2022 began busing migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to sanctuary cities that protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, amid an influx of migrants arriving to the southern border. There were more than 2.4 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2023 fiscal year, up from roughly 1.7 million in 2021, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The governor has faced substantial backlash over the policy, as critics accuse him of using migrants as political pawns. The White House, for instance, has slammed it as a "cruel, dangerous, and shameful stunt." Abbott, however, has defended the move as necessary, pointing to Texas' border towns becoming overwhelmed with migrants, and that sanctuary cities should be prepared to take in more.

The divisive tactic has upended the political discourse surrounding immigration, adding pressure to President Joe Biden, who faces new criticism from fellow Democrats over his handling of immigration as sanctuary city mayors plead with the federal government to provide more resources to grapple with the migrant influx.

A coalition of Democratic mayors from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York in November wrote a letter to Biden expressing their concerns about the arrival of more migrants to their cities, urging him to allocate more federal funding.

"Cities have historically absorbed and integrated new migrants with success, but the challenges brought by the new border arrivals are due not only to the high numbers but also the diversity of nationalities, the large share arriving as families, and the overwhelming number who seek asylum," the letter reads.

Meena Bose, executive dean of Hofstra University's Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, told Newsweek on Tuesday that Abbott's tactic brings the "question of immigration policy front and center to many places in the country that are not border locations."

Bose noted that the U.S. has not had "any sort of comprehensive immigration reform," and that Abbott's busing of migrants threatens to further complicate the issue as the country considers long-term questions about resources for migrants, as well as moral and humanitarian concerns.

Abbott Puts Democrats in 'Lose-Lose' Situation

Mona Kleinberg, assistant professor at Queens College of the City University of New York, told Newsweek that Abbott has put Democrats in a "lose-lose" situation" by convincing a "notoriously immigrant-friendly city that immigration is a burden."

She warned that Abbott's success does not bode well for Democrats in 2024, as immigration remains a hot-button issue. Biden must offer a "positive counter-narrative on immigration" or risk backing Republicans' stance, Kleinberg said.

"If they adopt an anti-immigrant stance like the Republicans, they will also alienate the voters who vote Democratic because Democrats have historically been more friendly—or shall we say—less hostile, toward immigrants than the Republicans. So it is a lose-lose situation unless Democrats can present policy solutions that include positive messaging on migration."

Republican strategist Matt Klink told Newsweek that immigration is forcing progressive Democrats to confront "political realities." He said that Democratic leaders have "radically changed their tune about the costs of illegal immigration" and "now understand what Texas border communities have endured for years."

"Because it takes already scarce resources from Democrat bread and butter social welfare programs, it's forcing the progressive left to make some really difficult choices and acknowledge political realities," he said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has been among the more vocal critics of Biden on immigration, "sees polling that highlights how upset his voters are with the real world costs of illegal immigration," Klink said.

Robert Y. Shapiro, professor of political science at Columbia University, told Newsweek Abbot has moved the Democratic Party "overall to move to the center or right" on immigration matters.

It is "clear" that Biden is working harder on border security issues amid backlash, Shapiro said.

The Biden administration has taken new action on immigration in recent months.

The president is working with Senate leaders to strike a deal for a bipartisan immigration bill, an issue on which Congress has struggled to reach consensus for years, and has proposed new funding for the U.S.-Mexico border in a package that would also provide money to Israel and Ukraine amid their conflicts. Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month traveled to Mexico for discussions on immigration.

"That the southern border issue has been tied to funding the wars in Ukraine and Israel has made this more pressing on Biden to compromise with the Republicans on this in a way that has been less acceptable than past proposals," Shapiro said.

David Bier, associate director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, told Newsweek that the arrival of migrants to Democratic-led cities, both those sent by Abbott and others who willingly chose to move there, is "certainly changing some minds" of Democratic voters. He noted that many migrants have chosen to live in sanctuary cities independent of Abbott's busing, also adding to the strain warned of by Democratic mayors.

"Polls consistently show lower support for more immigration among Democrats under the Biden administration, though they have overall remained positive with more supporting an increase in immigration than a decrease," he said.

This pressure has resulted in changes in how Biden is tackling immigration, according to Bier.

"There is no doubt that Biden has focused on reducing immigration because he believes it is costing him support among voters. He desperately wants to make the issue less chaotic and reduce costs for cities. That's why he has taken measures to authorize more immigrants to work legally, but he cannot change local shelter policies in cities that are creating the problems."