Julián Castro: Texas Gov. Is Making Immigrants “A Scapegoat” After Recklessly Reopening

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is claiming, without evidence, that the Biden administration is letting asylum seekers who tested positive for COVID-19 into Texas. The White House says that’s “not factual.”

L: Texas Governor Greg Abbott announces the reopening of more Texas businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic at a press conference at the Texas State Capitol on May 18, 2020 in Austin, Texas. R: Former housing secretary Julian Castro is interviewed by former Obama Administration officials Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor during the J Street National Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center October 28, 2019 in Washington, D.C. | Getty Images
L: Texas Governor Greg Abbott announces the reopening of more Texas businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic at a press conference at the Texas State Capitol on May 18, 2020 in Austin, Texas. R: Former housing secretary Julian Castro is interviewed by former Obama Administration officials Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor during the J Street National Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center October 28, 2019 in Washington, D.C. | Getty Images

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is diverting attention away from his recent move to lift coronavirus restrictions by falsely claiming the Biden administration is “releasing COVID-positive illegal immigrants” into the state. 

Earlier this week, Abbott faced a wave of criticism — including from President Joe Biden — after he reopened businesses and facilities in Texas and lifted the statewide mask mandate, in direct opposition to public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control director and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert. Just one day after lifting the restrictions, Abbott tweeted, without evidence, that Biden is “recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing on Thursday that Abbott’s claim about the Biden administration “is not factual.”

“When migrants are placed in alternatives to detention, their COVID-19 testing — our policy is for COVID-19 testing to be done at the state and local level and with the help of NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and local governments,” Psaki said. “But obviously, their assistance... allows the federal government to, you know, work with local communities to get this done.”

Also Thursday, Abbott said in an interview with CNBC that more than 100 undocumented people who emigrated into south Texas tested positive for COVID-19 and claimed they were “put on buses, taking that COVID to other states” and blamed the Biden administration for “importing COVID into our country.” 

Abbott’s critics, including Julián Castro, former Housing Secretary under President Obama, have said he’s trying to deflect away from the state’s decision to completely lift restrictions while the pandemic remains ongoing.

“You have a governor who is basically trying to pass off the blame, unfairly, to undocumented immigrants when we see the numbers start to go up here of new cases because of his terrible policy decisions,” Rep. Castro told NowThis in an interview. 

Texas reported more than 3,400 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, and has recorded more than 2.3 million positive cases in total according to the state’s health department. Texas also has one of the country’s lowest vaccination rates.

Castro continued: “There is evidence to suggest that the decision the governor made right before — the day before — he decided to scapegoat these immigrants, the decision that he made to kill the mask mandate and also to open up businesses to 100% will cause a lot more spread of coronavirus in Texas.”

According to multiple reports, asylum seekers released from Border Patrol were sent to Brownsville, TX to be tested for COVID-19 over the last few weeks. Between January 25 and March 1, 108 migrants have reportedly tested positive, with a positivity rate of 6.3% among those tested — compared to the state’s positivity rate of 12.37% within the last week, according to Johns Hopkins University. 

A representative for the city of Brownsville told NBC News that they advise migrants who test positive to quarantine and connect them with nonprofits that can provide shelter. 

Abbott has not confirmed what part of Texas he is referring to, but doubled down Thursday, claiming the Biden administration passed off a federal responsibility onto the state, putting “the lives of Texans and Americans at risk.” 

“Instead of doing their job, the Biden administration suggested it did not have the sufficient resources and, remarkably, asked Texas to assist them in aiding their illegal immigration program,” Abbott said in a statement. 

Despite Abbott’s remarks, which come as the state reels from a humanitarian crisis following a deadly winter storm, Texas has reportedly been sending rapid tests to border towns for nearly two months. A spokesperson from the Texas Division of Emergency Management confirmed to Forbes that the state has sent thousands of rapid tests to four border cities in Texas since January. CNN reported Thursday that Abbott’s administration has actually stalled funding from the federal government that would help provide testing for migrants.

Others have called out Abbott for being xenophobic and trying to stave off blame on undocumented immigrants:

Correction: This story previously misidentified Julián Castro as a representative and has been updated to reflect his accurate title.