Written by David Zimmermann

What’s happening: Deviating from its lenient border policies, the Biden administration is considering a new proposal that forces migrant families to remain in Texas while awaiting asylum screening instead of traveling to other states. The plan would reportedly force those migrant families to be tracked via GPS.

Why it matters: Border states in the Southwest have long suffered from Biden’s lax border policies. Yet Democratic officials never addressed the crisis until Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began bussing incoming migrants to blue cities. The new proposal would limit the damage to red states rather than blue cities whose policies facilitate the crisis.

• Zoom in: Border states have attempted to stop the migrant crisis by building makeshift buoy barriers and even a border wall made of shipping containers. President Joe Biden’s Justice Department sued both Arizona and Texas for these actions, preventing the states from curbing the crisis.

Why? There’s bipartisan blame on Biden. Democrats from blue states and cities have pressured the administration to adequately address the migrant crisis. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey have all blamed Biden for record immigration numbers. Biden’s new proposal would relieve the administration from at least the blame from Democrats.

What’s next? Implementing Biden’s plan in border states could quickly lead to economic crises for local governments in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona — just like the ones Democratic states such as Massachusetts and New York are currently experiencing.