For months, Democrats have been criticizing Republican governors for busing migrants away from the border, accusing them of cruel actions that exploit vulnerable migrants.
But Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has been busing migrants out of the Centennial State for weeks. His operation became publicized after New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) complained that Polis would be sending more migrants to the Big Apple.
What did Adams say?
Adams complained on Tuesday that his office had been notified on Monday that Colorado will be sending migrants to major cities like New York and Chicago.
"We were notified yesterday that the governor of Colorado has now stated that they are going to be sending migrants to places like New York and Chicago," Adams said, the New York Post reported. "This is just unfair for local governments to have to take on this national obligation. We've done our job. There's no more room at the inn."
What did Polis say?
Polis confirmed the plan with Politico, explaining Colorado officials have allocated $4 million in funds to assist with the migrant crisis.
In fact, Polis disclosed that Colorado has been transporting migrants for weeks. There is only a greater number leaving the state now because many had been stuck in the state for several weeks due to severe winter weather.
"There is a lot of pent-up demand right now and a lot of frustration among our migrants who have been trapped for a week or two in a place they didn't want to be through no fault of their own," Polis told Politico.
According to Axios, Polis is justifying the migrant transportation because the vast majority of migrants do not want to stay in Colorado. He is helping them reach their final destination, he said. That motivation, of course, is completely reasonable and is the same one that Republican governors cite when asked to explain their decision to migrants to major cities.
Still, Polis suggested that Colorado's migrant transportation is somehow different than what some other states are doing — without evidence, of course.
"Too many people, in our opinion, view this through a political lens or as playing politics — and it's terrible that in some places, people have been used as political props," he told Politico. "But what we are doing here is just honoring our values by treating people with dignity and respect."
Denver declared a state of emergency in mid-December over an influx of migrants.
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