The Bottom Line

Why are migrants in the US being used as political pawns?

The governors shipping migrants to far-away states may be coldhearted, but they have forced immigration onto the agenda.

Republican governors in the United States have been sending migrants to “sanctuary cities” – places that refuse to cooperate fully with immigration enforcement.

Democrats see the actions by Texas and Florida as inhumane political stunts, especially since the migrants have been abandoned in places like the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris, and an island off Massachusetts, called Martha’s Vineyard.

Republican politicians say they are pressuring the Biden administration to get tougher on the border with Mexico. Are they succeeding?

Steve Clemons discusses the US’s complicated attitude towards immigration with Farah Stockman of the New York Times newspaper and Tom Nichols of The Atlantic magazine.