His antics capture the increased radicalism and ridiculousness of the GOP’s xenophobia
Washington, DC – Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX)’s re-election strategy appears to amount to a series of ugly, damaging and unhinged anti-immigrant publicity stunts that are obviously designed for political theater and are facing increasing blowback and criticism:
Gov. Abbott’s truck inspections stunt at the border by Texas state police are driving up prices, threatening supply chains and hurting economic growth.
As the Dallas News highlighted: “Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller became the most prominent Republican to join a bipartisan chorus objecting to the delays in supply chain deliveries that are costing businesses money … ‘This is not solving the border problem, it is increasing the cost of food and adding to supply chain shortages,’ said Miller, a two-term Republican who is up for reelection this year. ‘Such a misguided program is going to quickly lead to $2 lemons, $5 avocados and worse.’”
Beto O’Rourke, Democratic candidate for Governor, noted similar themes, “Democrats and Republicans agree that Abbott’s political stunts are bad for business, terrible for Texas. They are driving up prices, worsening the supply chain, and causing inflation.”
And as the Dallas News explained, “U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the state inspections are ‘unnecessary’ because federal officials already inspect commercial vehicles and added, ‘Trucks are facing lengthy delays along the Texas-Mexico border, with wait times at some border crossings exceeding five hours and commercial traffic dropping by as much as 60 percent.’”
To get some far-right “own the libs” love, Gov. Abbott bussed asylum seekers – mostly from Venezuela – to the Washington, DC headquarters of Fox News. Now most seem to be headed to Florida to reunite with family and apply for refugee status.
As the Dallas News reports, the first bus “included 19 men, four women and two small children, according to Fox, and included individuals from Nicaragua and Venezuela.” Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council reported that “the bus had 15 Venezuelans, all of whom have now gone to Union Station and are going to pay for a bus to Florida to reunite with their families.”
As Beatriz Lopez of the Immigration Hub noted, “Important! Venezuelans are fleeing a communist dictator who is starving its people. And believe me, the large Venezuelan community in Florida will welcome them with open arms. You know who won’t? @marcorubio who opposes TPS & supports DeSantis’s order to keep families separated.”
This is a cheap and cruel political stunt. But it proves that performative posturing for Fox News is all that matters to Republicans like Abbott. Recall that soon after his initial announcement of the bus stunt, Gov. Abbott sent a fundraising appeal on the topic.
According to Mario Carrillo, Texas-based Campaigns Manager for America’s Voice:
Governor Abbott’s ugly nativism and cheap stunts are backfiring. His transparent and performative anti-immigrant politics are not just damaging to immigrants and asylum-seekers, but to all Texans and to our national economy. From the disruptions to our supply chains and higher prices that will occur due to unnecessary state truck inspections at the border to the millions of taxpayer dollars wasted by his Operation Lone Star deployment, we all are paying the price for his ugly anti-immigrant stunts.
But let’s ask the serious questions: do Republicans think refugees from communist and socialist regimes, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua in particular, are a menace to American society? Do they want to exclude them from being able to apply for asylum? What does Gov. Ron DeSantis have to say about the fact that Abbott is bussing asylum-seekers to Florida by way of Fox News in D.C.? What does Marco Rubio have to say given his legislative proposal to continue Title 42 would keep refugees from communism from being able to apply for asylum in America?
Gov. Abbott embodies a Republican Party that is increasingly unhinged on immigration and the border. He is managing to be cruel, silly and counterproductive at the same time. Texas taxpayers deserve better than politicians using their money to further publicity stunts that harm Texans and the country. Americans deserve better than to have politicians use human beings as political pawns, border communities as props and only use immigration and the border to stir fear and fundraise. We deserve politicians committed to solutions not stunts.
