Hakeem Jeffries calls Abbott a ‘human trafficker’ as Democratic cities reel from immigrant influx

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) referred to Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) as a “human trafficker” on Tuesday, condemning him for busing illegal immigrants to Democratic cities during the border crisis.

Jeffries acknowledged that the U.S. immigration system was “broken” but claimed Abbott was an “embarrassment” and not helping with his tactics.

“Gov. Abbott is an embarrassment and a human trafficker. But besides his political gamesmanship, I do think it’s important for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to recognize that we have a broken immigration system,” Jeffries told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “We do need to address the challenges at the border. And it should be done in a manner that is comprehensive and bipartisan. That will be the only way to solve this problem. … The only question is whether members of Congress on the other side of the aisle will recognize that their ‘my way or the highway’ approach is not an effective strategy.”

Jeffries added that Democrats support a “strong, secure, and humane” border.

The comment comes after Congress stalled on its latest border security bill, which had included more than 1,500 new border personnel, 1,200 new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, 100 machines designed to detect fentanyl, and 4,300 asylum officers to process claims. However, some Republicans slammed the deal over its acceptance of 5,000 new illegal immigrants a day and its automatic work permits for the approved newcomers.

“Let me be clear: The Senate Border Bill will NOT receive a vote in the House,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) wrote in a post on X earlier this month. “Here’s what the people pushing this ‘deal’ aren’t telling you: It accepts 5,000 illegal immigrants a day and gives automatic work permits to asylum recipients — a magnet for more illegal immigration.”

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Border states such as Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico have been overwhelmed by the surge of illegal immigration. In response to the crisis, Abbott has sent thousands of immigrants to large sanctuary cities since the start of his “Operation Lone Star,” which aims to ease part of Texas’s burden of the immigrant crisis.

New York City has seen the largest surge from Texas, receiving more than 150,000 new immigrants since the spring of 2022. Other cities, such as Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C., have also taken in thousands of asylum-seekers.

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