DENVER — Mayor Michael Hancock responded to reports that the White House floated the idea of busing detained migrants from the border to so-called sanctuary cities and dropping them off by saying that the President “sees these individuals as political pawns and not as human beings who are fleeing very dangerous, violent situations in their home countries.”
The Washington Post first reported that the White House brought up the idea twice in the last six months to “punish Democrats.”
The Department of Homeland Security said it was just an idea that “was floated and rejected, which ended any further discussion.” The White House also sent out an official statement saying the proposal was no longer under consideration.
But President Trump doubled down following the report saying he is still “strongly looking at the possibility.”
“They want more people in their sanctuary cities, well we’ll give them more people. We can give them a lot. we can give them an unlimited supply. And let’s see if they’re so happy. They say we have open arms. They’re always saying they have open arms. Let’s see if they have open arms,” Trump said at an unrelated press conference Friday.
When asked how the city would handle such a plan, Hancock pointed out that Immigration and Customs Enforcement rejected the plan and that any migrant that showed up would be welcomed as best the city could. He said the President is clearly playing a game
“I think this will be a city, I know this will be a city, that stands by its values. I am not saying we have to welcome everyone into our city because simply we have a pressure of our own resources. And every city in this country must measure its ability to welcome everyone in the city,” Hancock said. “But we will be welcoming to those who come. We will do everything we can to treat them as human beings and not as political pawns.”
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