O’rourke talks border on ‘The View’
In a national TV appearance, Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’rourke voiced support for lifting pandemic-related restrictions called Title 42 on the Texas border even though it could lead to a dramatic increase in border crossings.
Tuesday on ABC’S “The View,” O’rourke said he wants order and the rule of law at the border but said Title 42 was keeping people with legitimate asylum claims from getting into the U.S. for their day in court. He said he’s spoken to Border Patrol officers who warn those people are making repeated attempts to come across, taking up even more of their time as they turn back the same people over and over without being able to determine the veracity of asylum claims.
“When we lift Title 42 and when we can process and where appropriate detain people, especially those who may pose a danger to us, we’re going to be safer and we’re going to be following our own asylum laws,” O’rourke said.
Department of Homeland Security officials have said they could face up to 18,000 migrants a day at the border once Title 42 is lifted.
It didn’t take long for Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign to blast O’rourke for saying the surge in migrants would make the state safer. Abbott has made border security a top priority in the campaign, dispatching 10,000 National Guard troops and Department of Public Safety officers to the border.
“Beto’s comments today in New York City supporting the ending of Title 42 once again demonstrates that he is completely out of touch with the crisis at the southern border,” said Mark Miner, communications director for the Abbott campaign. “The fact that Beto made these comments in New York City while appearing on ‘The View’ is a direct slap in the face to law enforcement and local officials on the border who are working daily to keep Texans safe.”
O’rourke said he hopes lifting Title 42 will put political pressure on Congress to rewrite the nation’s immigration laws.
Earlier in his appearance on “The View,” O’rourke slammed Abbott for trying to be more like Donald Trump on immigration, abortion rights and transgender children.
“In Texas, you see Greg Abbott trying to mimic Donald Trump,” O’rourke said. “He’s not trying to be governor of the state of Texas. He’s trying to get that pole position in the Republican presidential primary.”
He later told host Joy Behar that Abbott is competing with Florida Gov. Ron Desantis for the title of being the nation’s worst governor.