California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is warning the immigration system could soon be overwhelmed and “break.”
In a video posted on Twitter Monday night, Newsom explained he met with humanitarian leaders in Mexico.
“We’re here now on the other side in Calexico. And here just to get an understanding and deep understanding of what the world looks like pre-Title 42, and what it likely is going to look like in a few weeks post-Title 42,” he explained.
Watch the video below:
At the border today.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 13, 2022
CA has invested $1B to humanely support migrant communities & secure our border. We can’t do this alone.@POTUS has proposed real reform that will fix our broken immigration system—but @GOPLeader has done nothing but exploit the situation for political gain pic.twitter.com/aI0vKbpGAt
His comments refer to Title 42, a health order implemented by former President Donald Trump’s administration to allow officials to expel migrants quickly, which is set to end on Dec. 21.
Officials are predicting the end of the order could lead to a wave of migration.
During an interview with KXTV, Newsom called on the federal government to do more to address the border situation.
“The federal government is sending more and more flights, and more and more buses directly here to California because this state is doing what no other state’s doing and that’s absorbing and protecting and preserving our values and advancing them by doing health care screenings, and taking care of folks, and the more we do, the burden is placed disproportionate on us.”
He added, “We’re already at capacity at nine of our sites. We can’t continue to fund all of these sites because of the budgetary pressures now being placed on this state and the offsetting issues that I have to address.”
The governor also predicted California “will not be able to handle the influx” once Title 42 ends.
And he hit Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard as he said, “I mean, that’s just comedy and tragedy.”
Finally, Newsom warned, “The fact is, what we’ve got right now is not working, and it’s about to break in a post-42 world unless we take some responsibility and ownership.”
“I’m saying that as a Democrat. I’m not saying that to point fingers. I’m saying that as a father, I’m saying that as someone that feels responsible for being part of the solution, and I’m trying to do my best here,” he added.
His interview comes as a caravan of as many as 1,000 migrants, mostly from Nicaragua, crossed the Rio Grande and entered El Paso, Texas.
The New York Times notes it is the largest single border crossing event the region has seen in years.
It argues the crossing “offered a preview of the challenges that border officials could soon face all along the southern border,” because migrants from Nicaragua currently cannot be expelled under Title 42.