President Joe Biden found himself the target of some hefty criticism from Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the wake of Biden’s trip out to El Passo on Sunday as a means to see the border, making the claim that the president has absolutely “no plans” to enforce any laws regarding immigration.
Abbot stated about the incident during the interview while speaking on “Sunday Morning Futures” from Fox News with host Maria Bartiromo.
“Biden is there today to look at a sanitized El Paso so that he can do all he can to help and aid the illegal immigrants as opposed to stopping them from coming into our country,” stated the governor.
President Biden’s border visit today is to a sanitized version of El Paso.
He has no plans to enforce federal immigration laws.
Biden’s plan will only entice MORE illegal crossings.
Texas will continue our historic border mission to protect our state. pic.twitter.com/UelZRg0Zts
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 8, 2023
These bits of critique from Abbott also take place after police officials from El Paso took down a number of migrant encampments before the scheduled visit from the president. Cleanup took place in the downtown bus station for the city and at the shelter close to Sacred hearth Church, as explained in a report from the New York Post.
The report claimed that six buses filled with mostly Venezuelan migrants departed from the city out to Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez, sporting an escort from the police along with other migrants headed back to Mexico along a pedestrian crossing.
Former Republican Rep. Mayra Flores also spoke out to condemn the efforts from the city to try and clean out the camps full of migrants prior to Biden’s arrival.
“Why not show him what our border community and law enforcement officials are dealing with on a daily basis?” she asked.
El Paso clears downtown of expansive migrant camps ahead of Biden visit.
Why not show him what our border community and law enforcement officials are dealing with on a daily basis.
— Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores2022) January 6, 2023
The National Border Patrol Council issued statements standing against the El Paso changes prior to the visit from Biden via a post to social media made on Friday.
“El Paso being cleaned up as if nothing unusual ever happened there. Just in time for Biden’s ‘visit to the border,” explained the group via a tweet. “We suggest just landing in Des Moines, Iowa and telling him it’s El Paso. He’ll never know the difference.”
El Paso being cleaned up as if nothing unusual ever happened there. Just in time for Biden's "visit to the border".
We suggest just landing in Des Moines, Iowa and telling him it's El Paso. He'll never know the difference.
— Border Patrol Union – NBPC (@BPUnion) January 6, 2023
Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, explained to Fox News this past Saturday that agents of the Border Patrol are disheartened by Biden’s coming.
“We’re beyond frustrated that it’s taken him two years. We’re beyond frustrated that he allowed this issue to get as bad as it is,” stated Judd. “He’s not coming to the border of his own accord. He would have done that a long, long time ago.”
Judd stated that he thinks that Biden is paying a visit to the border at this time as a means to alleviate pressure from the media and a number of his fellow Democrats, which seemingly includes Eric Adams, the New York City Mayor who has openly and repeatedly criticized how Washington has been dealing with the southern border crisis.
