Texas border mayor blames both parties for migrant crisis: 'Asinine political mudslinging' won't fix this
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis face harsh criticism from Democrats over migrant transports
Rio Grande City, Texas Mayor Joel Villarreal slams Republicans and Democrats for using immigrants as ‘political pawns’ to further agendas and demands leaders have a conversation to find solutions.
A Texas border mayor lashed out at Democrats and Republicans Friday for failing to fix America's broken immigration system as the Biden administration considers "litigation" against GOP governors over migrants sent to Democratic cities.
"You have Democrats, Republicans engaged in asinine political mudslinging that absolutely does zero to address the issue," Rio Grande City, Texas Mayor Joel Villarreal told "Cavuto: Coast to Coast."
President Biden called on Republican governors Thursday to stop sending migrants into Democratic cities and communities, calling such actions "political stunts" and "un-American."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took credit for flying migrants to Massachusetts on Wednesday and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent migrants to Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
A migrant family from Venezuela illegally crosses the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas, at the border with Mexico on June 30, 2022. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Villarreal, whose town sits directly on the Mexico border, shared his frustration over what he called decades of elected officials prioritizing their own political agendas over finding solutions.
"Americans are fully aware that we have a broken immigration system, and we've had this for over 30 years, several decades," Villarreal told host Neil Cavuto.
"Neither party has delivered comprehensive immigration reform or addressed a broken immigration system."
As the immigration crisis finds newfound national attention, Villarreal encouraged political leaders to stop using Hispanics as "political pawns" and instead use the attention to craft meaningful reform.
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"No mayor or governor in America should bear the burden for a broken immigration system without the federal financial resources that are necessary to better manage these flows," he said, urging the president and governors to meet on the issue.
"Is it really that difficult to sit down and have a conversation?," he asked. "Put your pride aside."
Fox News' Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.