'Sanctuary' Cities and States Overwhelmed by Migrants Coming From Red States

On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew two planes of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, an upscale Massachusetts island home to residents like former President Barack Obama which defines itself as a sanctuary city.

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Editorial Team
September 15, 2022

Why? According to DeSantis’ administration, many blue states incentivize illegal immigration through their “sanctuary state” status—meaning they present themselves as a safe zone for illegal migrants worried about law enforcement, detainment, and deportation. For this reason, the Florida governor believes these states should feel the burden of their actions.

It’s now a Republican strategy: Texas Gov. Greg Abbot has been busing tens of thousands of consenting migrants to New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. since April. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has been sending migrants to the capital since May. Just today, another 100 migrants were dropped off near Vice President Kamala Harris' residence there.

The reaction:

  • New York City’s mayor said the city’s “right to shelter” policy—which requires the city to shelter the homeless—needs to be reassessed after nearly 11,000 migrants have overwhelmed the city's shelter system.

  • Washington, D.C.’s mayor declared a 15-day public emergency over the almost 10,000 migrants bused into the capital since April.

  • Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued a state of disaster to allocate resources to provide the migrants with transportation, emergency shelter and housing, food, and more. The state’s national guard was activated to help.

Big picture: Border states like Arizona and Texas have to deal with the consequences of the border crisis. Blue areas like New York and D.C. that encourage illegal immigration have never had to deal with the results of their policies and rhetoric until now.