President Joe Biden unwound former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including allowing some asylum-seeking families through the Texas border as more migrants seek to enter the United States.  Some immigration advocates praised the Biden administration’s policy changes. But the administration’s handling of migrants also spurred criticism from both sides of the immigration debate, particularly from Republicans.

 

Gov. Greg Abbott called on Biden to stop releasing migrant families at the border, tweeting that the Democratic administration is “recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities.”

 

During a recent visit to the border, he announced that he would deploy Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard resources to “high threat areas to deny Mexican cartels and other smugglers the ability to move drugs and people into Texas.” But the border remained closed to most migrants and asylum seekers, and those allowed in were tested for COVID-19.