Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams Republicans for "trafficking" migrants

• DeSantis doubled down and said he plans to spend millions that Florida has budgeted to continue the controversial practice.

Why it matters: It was an escalation of Republican governors' standoff with President Biden over his immigration and border policies — aimed at forcing predominantly Democratic-run states to grapple with social safety-net issues.

• Massachusetts, which has a Republican governor, appears to have been targeted because state and local leaders have expressed support for policies that benefit immigrants regardless of their status.

What they're saying: "Don’t normalize this. Lying to & trafficking people for TV and clicks isn’t politics as usual. It’s abuse," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

• "What a lot of Republican politicians fail to understand is that not everyone shares their zero-sum, scarcity mindset," she added.

Zoom in: Church leaders, housing advocates, government officials and residents on Martha’s Vineyard came together to provide shelter, food, clothing and other items for the migrants, who were staying at a church in Edgartown.

Go deeper: Border Dem slams "soulless" DeSantis over Martha's Vineyard stunt