Gov. Bill Lee said that the White House is sending illegal immigrants by bus to the great state of Tennessee. This is not the first time the Biden administration has moved migrants around the country.
In 2021, Biden sent planes full of migrants to Jacksonville, FL. Mayor Lenny Curry said back then that planes dropping off people who crossed our borders illegally at night violated the rule of law. He also went on to say that they were being sent without any communication to Jacksonville or Fl. Ron DeSantis then threaten to send migrants to Biden’s home in Delaware.
Does all this sound familiar? It should in April, Greg Abbott started busing migrants to Sanctuary cities. Other Republican governors have joined him, including DeSantis, who flew a plane of migrants to Martha’s Vine Yard.
The Democrats accused Abbott, Ducey, and DeSantis of busing migrants as a political stunt, although it is perfectly acceptable when they do. Yet despite Democrats accusing Republicans of being inhuman, the Biden administration has plans to send migrants to various states.
According to a press release, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) and United States Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn) demanded that the White House and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) change their plans to release an unknown number of single adult migrants into Tennessee because nothing has been done to secure the Southern border.
The Daily Wire reported that on Monday afternoon, the White House told the governor’s office that they would send “multiple busloads” from the ICE facility in New Orleans to Tennessee.
The governor said that ICE had told us they plan to let single adult detainees go to Tennessee while they wait for court; Lee said this is dangerous and careless, putting the safety of Tennesseans at risk. Lee added that there is already a border security crisis, and the Biden administration’s plan to eliminate Title 42 will only encourage more people to cross illegally.
According to Lee, it’s not kind to keep doing things that make exploitation and trafficking worse. He said 7,000 illegal immigrants come into the country every day, referring to the number of people waiting to come in when Title 42 ends. Lee believes the problem is too big to ignore, and securing the border is the only way to stop it.
Putting the burden on the states is not the answer; Lee said the state shouldn’t have to pay for the federal government’s mistakes. Lee advised that they ask the Biden administration to change its plan to move detainees. In the meantime, they are discussing their options with the Attorney General of Tennessee and the federal delegation.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn was also very critical of the Biden Administration. She said Joe Biden’s border crisis has made one thing very clear: every town can be considered a border town, and every state is a border state. The Biden Administration is bringing illegal immigrants into towns and cities across the country, including Tennessee.
Sen. Bill Hagerty said something similar. Still, he focused more on the drug crisis caused by an open border: An open border has brought heartbreaking consequences to communities across America in the form of more drug overdoses. It has put a strain on the money hospitals, schools, and communities have.
Jonathan Skrmetti, the Republican Attorney General of Tennessee, said his office would look into all possible ways to stop the plan.
The state of Tennessee fought to keep Title 42, a policy from the Trump administration that lets migrants be turned away if there are concerns about COVID. The rule was supposed to end on Wednesday, but the Supreme Court temporarily held its end, which meant it could be kept in place for longer. Customs and Border Protection officials told lawmakers that about 50,000 foreigners were waiting to cross into the U.S. once Title 42 ended.