'Washington is responsible for this': McAllen, Texas, mayor tears into Biden's border policies after 1,500 of 7,000 migrants released into his city tested positive for COVID - and 1,800 are crossing every day
- In a video posted to Facebook Mayor Javier Villalobos urged McAllen residents to direct their anger at Washington, DC and not local lawmakers or migrants
- He was speaking after city commission voted to erect tents to house migrants
- The tent city has since been moved further away after residents complained
- Villalobos, a Republican, said 15% of the 1,800 migrants per day have COVID
- He is just the latest Texas official to express ire at Biden over the migrant crisis
A mayor on the Texas-Mexico border is slamming Joe Biden and his state's federal lawmakers after he was forced to declare a disaster over the surging number of migrants infected with COVID being released into his city.
In a video posted to Facebook Wednesday, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos was visibly frustrated talking about the state his city is in after 1,500 migrants tested positive for COVID out of 7,000 left there by Border Patrol last week.
The city commission voted on Tuesday to set up emergency tents to house the overflow of migrants, but moved it to a county-owned facility further away from residents angry over its location.
Villalobos said the city commission's decision was something 'we shouldn't have to do' in the first place.
The Republican mayor addressed his constituents and told them he understands why they are angry, and urged them to direct that anger at Washington lawmakers in a Wednesday video
His message comes after new data shows 1,500 of 7,000 migrants released in McAllen last week tested positive for COVID (pictured: Asylum-seeking families wait for CBP in Roma, Texas, also along the border but far from McAllen, on July 30)
Addressing his citizens the Republican mayor told them 'I know ya'll are angry, we get the calls, we get the texts, we get the emails.'
'Lately we've been getting about 1,800 immigrants a day,' he said. 'Then, coupled with the fact that 15 percent of the immigrants have COVID, have caused substantial problems to our great city of McAllen.'
Villalobos urged his constituents to not blame local officials or even Governor Greg Abbott for the situation.
'If you want to place blame, let's do it,' he challenged defiantly.
'Call your president, call your congressman, and call your senators - if you want to place blame, blame them. Place it on the people who are responsible, and that is Washington.'
Villalobos captioned his video with contact information for federal officials, with just Joe Biden's name topping the list
The Texas Republican is just the latest political leader to criticize the Biden administration over how it's handled the border.
A July report from Customs and Border Patrol found a record 188,829 encounters with migrants at the southern border over the month prior. Thousands more may have crossed over undetected.
In a bid to stem the flow of migrants to his state and keep COVID transmission down Abbott signed an executive order last week to prohibit ground transport of migrants by anyone other than law enforcement.
Abbott accused the Biden White House of 'knowingly importing COVID-19' and 'jeopardizing the health and safety of Texans on a daily basis.'
A federal judge temporarily blocked the order.
Villalobos said McAllen's formal disaster declaration was a bid to get help from the state and federal governments.
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President Joe Biden and Senator Ted Cruz were two DC officials the mayor indicated in his Facebook video caption
The McAllen mayor said the city 'should not be involved' in directing migrants after the city commission voted to set up emergency housing to deal with the influx
'Immigration is not a municipal issue, it never should be. We should not be involved, we don't want to be involved,' he said.
Villalobos made the disaster declaration on Monday citing 'recent increases in number of released immigrants and the potential for even greater numbers.'
He also noted that charitable organizations designated to help migrants in the area are overwhelmed and are buckling under the influx.
The greater area of Hidalgo County followed suit and declared a disaster on Tuesday.
Statewide Texas saw nearly 12,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to a New York Times tracker. Nearly 7,000 people are hospitalized, a 93 percent increase over 14 days.
The average COVID positivity rate more than doubled from mid-July.
That's against the backdrop of more than 35 million COVID cases across the US in total and 614,804 deaths.
Villalobos insisted he did not blame the migrants or local officials trying 'to protect your community' but acknowledged the high rate of migrants coming into McAllen with COVID is a problem.
'We don't want these individuals - these immigrants - to just be dropped off at the bus station and just wander off - 1,800 people a day. If we don't assist, if we don't do something, they're gonna be throughout the city. Fifteen percent of them have COVID - we have to be responsible.'
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