Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday critiqued the Department of Homeland Security for its new migration enforcement rules targeting Venezuelan migrants, arguing the Biden Administration should require the same process for all migrants.
DHS on Wednesday announced the new rules, saying they would ease pressure on cities and states dealing with an influx of migrants along the Southwest border.
“They should have been doing this all along,” Abbott said in response to a question from the San Antonio Report at NuStar Energy Thursday, where he gave the keynote address to the Asian American Alliance of San Antonio. “They shouldn’t limit it to just people coming from Venezuela. It should be number one across the board,” he added.
The new rules target Venezuelan migrants, DHS said, because they are crossing the Texas-Mexico border at four times the rate they were last year, fleeing financial and political instability in their home country. Illegal immigration from other Central American countries, by contrast, is “down by a quarter from the level encountered last year,” the agency said.
In a joint action with Mexico, the U.S. will now turn back Venezuelan migrants who enter the country between ports of entry, without authorization.
Abbott said the new process for Venezuelan migrants could be a result of pressure on the Biden Administration from Democratic governors of states like New York and Illinois, that are now dealing with the migrants Abbott and other Republican governors have bussed into their states
“We know that it has put pressure on the Biden Administration,” Abbott said. “It’s having an effect.”
Asked if the implementation of the new enforcement process could result in an increase in human smuggling attempts, Abbot said no. Deaths from human smuggling have increased in recent years. In June, 53 migrants died in the back of a tractor-trailer in San Antonio.
Abbott instead suggested the Biden Administration sharpen its message to would-be migrants.
“He [Biden] needs to send a message that if you want to come to the United States of America, there’s a legal way and that’s the only way you should be able to come,” Abbott said.
As part of its new processes, DHS is also working on a program to “lawfully and safely bring up to 24,000 qualifying Venezuelans” into the United States. The U.S. and Mexico will also ramp up coordinated enforcement operations against human smuggling organizations, the statement said.
In San Antonio, Venezuelan nationals account for 90% of those processed through the migrant resource center, according to city data. The city declined to comment on the DHS announcement.
Venezuelans approved under the new process would be granted permission to enter the U.S. and flown to a specific port of entry, relieving pressure at the border, DHS said. Once in the United States, they will be eligible to apply for work authorization.
To be eligible, Venezuelans must have a supporter in the U.S. who can provide financially, must pass a rigorous security check and be up to date on vaccinations and other public health requirements. People or organizations who wish to support or host eligible Venezuelan migrants can apply to DHS to do so online.
Venezuelan migrants would be disqualified from eligibility if they have been removed from the U.S. within the past five years, have entered Mexico or Panama without authorization after the announcement, or have refugee status in any other country, or have not completed vaccinations and health requirements.
“These actions make clear that there is a lawful and orderly way for Venezuelans to enter the United States, and lawful entry is the only way,” said DHS Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
The U.S. is also planning to offer additional security assistance to address the migration challenges through the Darién Gap.
“Those who attempt to cross the southern border of the United States illegally will be returned to Mexico and will be ineligible for this process in the future. Those who follow the lawful process will have the opportunity to travel safely to the United States and become eligible to work here,” Mayorkas said.
DHS compared the process to the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program, which has decreased Ukraine migration flows as thousands flee from the Russian invasion.
