White House decries Texas Gov.’s ‘publicity stunt’ plan to bus immigrants to D.C.

The White House on Thursday attacked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over his announced plan to send charter buses of migrants to Washington, D.C.

A day earlier, Abbott announced his state is taking "unprecedented actions" to address an anticipated spike of migrants at the US-Mexico border.

He said the Texas Department of Public Safety will start stopping and inspecting commercial vehicles to look for illegal immigrants who might be smuggled across the southern border.

Once rounded up, they would be put on charter buses and sent to Washington, D.C., the governor said.

"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 during a news conference.

He also said on Twitter, “President Biden refuses to come to the southern border to see the chaos he has created. So, we’re taking the border to him.”

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki described the plan as a “publicity stunt.”​​

When asked about what preparations the administration has made to find migrants places to stay, Psaki said, “I’m not aware of what authority the governor would be doing that under​.​ I think it’s pretty clear this is a publicity stunt​.”

“His own office admits that a migrant would need to voluntarily be transported, and then he can​’t​compel them to because​,​ again, enforcement of our country’s immigration laws lies with the federal government and not a state​,” she continued.

Abbott announced the initiative in response to the planned removal of the Title 42 public health authority next month. The Biden administration last week rescinded Title 42, effective May 23.

US preps for possible surge in border crossings, as officials mull lifting COVID curbs

US officials are preparing for the possibility of thousands of more migrants per day attempting to cross the southern border.

Former president Donald Trump implemented the order at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. His administration claimed the order was to help prevent the spread of the virus across the US' borders with Mexico and Canada.

However, health experts, immigrant rights advocates and leading Democrats argue that scientific evidence does not support its stated goal of helping to stop the spread of the virus.

The Biden’s move last week sparked praise from civil rights organizations and many Democrats, but also criticism from Republicans and some moderate Democrats who assert the administration does not have enough of a plan to handle the expected spike in migrants at the border.

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