The border and migration have become top issues of the 2024 US presidential election, with a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll finding immigration second only to the economy on voters’ minds. It’s in large part due to a political gamble by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In April 2022, the Republican decided federal authorities weren’t doing enough about increased border apprehensions. So he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to charter buses to take people who entered the US illegally to northern cities, or as he calls them, “sanctuary cities.” His tactics in part led to frenzied talks among Congressional lawmakers in late 2023, ultimately yielding a bipartisan deal. But the bill swiftly collapsed under pressure from Donald Trump, who said he didn’t want to hand a victory to President Joe Biden. We visited Eagle Pass, Texas to see the situation first hand and examine how the issue might play into the 2024 election.
