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Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), whose district is seeing a large number of migrants cross the U.S. border, excoriated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a "soulless human being" on Thursday for flying migrants, reportedly without sharing the destination, to Martha's Vineyard.

Why it matters: Escobar's reaction reflects how many Democrats and immigration advocates have reacted to the move. They've criticized DeSantis for treating humans as "pawns" in a political game — a characterization several other border members used in conversations with Axios.

What's happening: DeSantis, along with fellow GOP Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona, have sought to draw attention to the large number of migrants and asylum-seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border by transporting them to Democratic enclaves such as New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

What they're saying: Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) slammed DeSantis' move as "grandstanding" in an election season, telling Axios, "I think it's orchestrated and it borders on cruelty because there's no solution being offered." 

"You know these people trapped in this situation become cannon fodder as symbols of ‘look what's going on,'" Grijalva said. "It's cruel and it's politically motivated. It’s sad."

Escobar, in an interview with Axios, denounced all three governors' behavior as "malicious," "hateful" and "demeaning." But she singled out DeSantis as "taking it to a new low, lying to people in the way that he's lied to them."

"You know the people who frequently like to have scripture on the lips and hate in their heart? He reminds me of them," Escobar said.

Between the lines: Escobar noted that nongovernmental organizations have long bussed migrants from the border to other communities where they can be sponsored or reconnect with family members.

But she highlighted the difference in "intent" with what the GOP governors have been doing, accusing them of competing to "debase themselves as much as they can as they grovel for the votes of people who are excited by racism and bigotry."

Other Democrats took a softer approach in their criticism. 

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who has long been critical of the Biden administration's border policies, said he didn't "necessarily agree with the politics of the stunt." 

But he said the government needs "to be doing more to dissuade migrants from coming to the United States. ... Our whole country is now feeling the effects of open borders."

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) texted simply, "monkey see, monkey do."

The other side: Leading Republicans defended the governors' actions.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) called it a "terrific idea."

"This is a national responsibility. It should be a national burden, and we're talking about a minuscule percentage of the overall numbers that are coming," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told reporters. 

Others were less emphatic. "I get why the governors are doing it. I get why the mayor of El Paso is doing it. It is a political ploy. It makes headlines," Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) told Axios' Josh Kraushaar.

But Gonzales added a warning that "anytime you’re using people as political ploys, it’s dangerous." 

He argued that migrants are often being sent to places they are already heading, and he raised concern that offering transportation to migrants and asylum-seekers could further encourage immigration. 

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

"You know the people who frequently like to have scripture on the lips and hate in their heart?"

Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Ron DeSantis

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), whose district is seeing a large number of migrants cross the U.S. border, excoriated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a &quot;soulless human being&quot; on Thursday for flying migrants, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reportedly without sharing the destination" data-vars-click-url="https://www.npr.org/2022/09/15/1123109768/migrants-sent-to-marthas-vineyard" data-vars-content-id="2cb2bb8c-10c3-44fe-b4e1-7cd1505f65f3" data-vars-headline="Border Dem slams &quot;soulless&quot; DeSantis over Martha&#x27;s Vineyard stunt" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/09/15/1123109768/migrants-sent-to-marthas-vineyard" target="_blank">reportedly without sharing the destination</a>, to Martha&#x27;s Vineyard.Why it matters: Escobar&#x27;s reaction reflects how many Democrats and immigration advocates have reacted to the move. They&#x27;ve criticized DeSantis for treating humans as &quot;pawns&quot; in a political game — a characterization several other border members used in conversations with Axios.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

MIXCO, GUATEMALA — Two wide-eyed schoolgirls in uniforms watched in silence from their doorway early one morning last week as armed national police, working in partnership with U.S. officials, raided a neighbor's cinder block home to seize evidence of a fraudulent visa-making operation. 

Why it matters: The suspect, working under the alias “Robocop,” was the target of a special group of Guatemala's national police who are trained by U.S. Homeland Security officials to crack down on migrant and drug smuggling, human trafficking, fraud and other crimes that impact American security.

Axios was invited to embed with the special team to observe how these Transnational Criminal Investigative Units, or TCIUs, operate — the first time a U.S. reporter was given such access to these agents and tactical operations.

Driving the news: I witnessed an arrest in a gang-ridden neighborhood in Mixco and U.S. agents providing first-of-its-kind instruction to Guatemalan police. I also toured a U.S.-funded clandestine facility where vetted Guatemalan agents live and work alongside a handful of temporary U.S. investigators.

Human smuggling cases have become a primary focus for the unit, especially after the rise of migrant caravans in 2019 and back-to-back years of record numbers at the U.S. border.

The big picture: Guatemalan police have been working hand in hand with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security since 2011. It's now the largest TCIU in the world. 

By the numbers: Officials say vetted agents in Guatemala have dismantled four smuggling networks this year. The search and arrest I witnessed related to visa fraud marked the TCIU's 21st case this year.

One case yielded 19 arrests last month. Four are slated to become the first Guatemalans extradited to the U.S. for human smuggling.

800 of 2,500 arrests made worldwide last year by TCIUs were in Guatemala — and that number is expected to double this year, Hector Quintana, who oversees TCIU agent training, told Axios.

Guatemalan anti-narcotics agent conducts a search in the Ciudad Quetzal 

Guatemalan police agent on the anti-narcotics unit helps conduct a search. Photo: Stef Kight/Axios

How it works: The U.S. lacks jurisdiction to arrest criminals in other countries. But those counterparts often lack adequate resources or are plagued by corruption.

TCIUs leverage diplomacy, tens of millions of dollars, training and equipment to support vetted foreign police in taking down cartels, visa frauds and smuggling networks.

"We're extending the border," Ricardo Mayoral, deputy assistant director at HSI, told Axios. "We're providing the capacity, the training to our partners in the Western Hemisphere and other areas of the world," to stop criminal networks from coming to the U.S.

DHS surged U.S. personnel to these teams earlier this year amid record numbers at the border. That was part of a new push to crack down on human smuggling and trafficking networks in the hemisphere — and to ready for the end of COVID-era border policies.

Guatemalan investigators executing a search warrant. Photo: Stef Kight/Axios

Between the lines: For years, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — known as the Northern Triangle nations — have been top sources for irregular migration to the U.S.-Mexico border. Migrants and asylum seekers coming from Central America often cite financial strain, violence or political persecution as reasons for fleeing.

In FY 2019, 64% of encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border — about two in three — were with Northern Triangle nationals.

But that share has fallen to just 24% this fiscal year, as the number of migrants traveling from further south and overseas has skyrocketed. This makes Guatemala a critical transit country as well as a continued source of migration.

Zoom in: Some members of the Guatemalan TCIU have only recently completed a three-week training course in Perry, Georgia, while the longest-serving members joined the team nine years ago.

Most are men, but the group does include some female agents. One, who gave only her first name, Victoria, said the unit's women "do not have the same force or strength, but sometimes a woman has more intelligence."

After the death of two TCIU agents in Mexico a couple of years ago, DHS this year launched advanced training sessions to help keep agents safe.

The Guatemala team had its first such training over the last week of August, practicing how to clear a room and properly handcuff a suspect, in addition to shooting practice.

U.S. officials told Axios they hope in the future to be able to offer stipends to police who work with them. Their wages now come only from Guatemalan government.

Guatemalan police receive advanced training from HSI agents. Photo: Stef Kight/Axios

What's next: Each of the TCIUs, in 14 countries, looks different, depending on the needs and allowances of the host country.

Top officials involved in the program told Axios they plan to expand next year — building out current teams, adding an additional training session in Georgia for new recruits and expanding to four more countries.

The U.S. is looking closely at Haiti, where escalating gang violence has pushed many more people to flee and is endangering unauthorized migrants whom the U.S. has recently deported.

Axios in Guatemala: Inside U.S. efforts to stop human smuggling

The U.S. supports groups of vetted foreign police in taking down cartels, visa frauds and smuggling networks.

Guatemalan law enforcement prepare for an early morning search warrant execution. Photo: Stef Kight/Axios

Guatemala

Immigration

MIXCO, GUATEMALA — Two wide-eyed schoolgirls in uniforms watched in silence from their doorway early one morning last week as armed national police, working in partnership with U.S. officials, raided a neighbor&#x27;s cinder block home to seize evidence of a fraudulent visa-making operation. Why it matters: The suspect, working under the alias “Robocop,” was the target of a special group of Guatemala&#x27;s national police who are trained by U.S. Homeland Security officials to crack down on migrant and drug smuggling, human trafficking, fraud and other crimes that impact American security.

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

Note: Data not available from Aug. 8 to Sept. 4, 2022; Data: Google Trends; Chart: Jacque Schrag and Will Chase/Axios

Americans' Google searches and story interactions around crime and immigration are eclipsing abortion and the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, according to the Axios midterms dashboard powered by Google Trends, as well as new data from NewsWhip.

Why it matters: With elections seven weeks away, some topics more likely to favor Democrats have been losing ground to those that may favor Republicans.

The big picture: Democrats have been laser focused on abortion as a winning issue, but the new data shows a waning interest nationally after the initial surge that followed the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. It remains high in some states and districts, including Indiana, which passed a near total ban last month.

Meanwhile, searches related to immigration and the border vaulted into the top 10 last week, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis grabbed national attention by flying asylum seekers to Martha's Vineyard.

Crime has continued to hover around the top 10 as an issue many voters have been paying close attention to.

Search interest in inflation and generally about the economy has been rising again.

One positive trend for Democrats: Declining interest in "gas prices," after the topic landed in the top 3 in early June. That decline tracked with falling prices at the pump.

Zoom in: Stories about the busing and flying of migrants to other parts of the country captured significant social media attention over the past week, according to data from NewsWhip.

Interactions on stories about DeSantis flying migrants to Martha's Vineyard far outnumbered those on the stories about abortion or the FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago during that same time period, for example.

Of note: Jobs, taxes and wages have without fail remained at or near the top of the search hierarchy over the past several months. It tracks with polls that show voters care most about economic issues.

Firearms dropped out of the top 5 for only the second time since Axios has been recording the data.

Ukraine is back again in the top 5, after several weeks of falling interest as the conflict stagnated. 

The Google Trends data compares weekly data from the period of May 23-August 8 and September 8 to September 20.

Search interest in abortion falls as the border rises

The midterm election is just seven weeks away.

Midterms SEO

People are searching more for immigration, less for abortion.

Americans&#x27; Google searches and story interactions around crime and immigration are eclipsing abortion and the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, according to the Axios <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="midterms dashboard" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/31/2022-midterms-election-issues-americans-google" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/31/2022-midterms-election-issues-americans-google" target="_self">midterms dashboard</a> powered by Google Trends, as well as new data from NewsWhip.Why it matters: With elections seven weeks away, some topics more likely to favor Democrats have been losing ground to those that may favor Republicans.

GUATEMALA CITY — The Biden administration could begin forcing more human smugglers arrested in other countries to face the U.S. justice system in an effort to crack down on the illegal networks booming throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Why it matters: The border crisis is both a humanitarian challenge and a sensitive political issue that Republicans have aggressively campaigned on, sometimes prompting Democrats in close midterm contests to criticize their own president.

The Biden administration has allowed more than 1 million undocumented immigrants into the U.S. to await asylum hearings, according to the New York Times.

A record 750 migrants have died at the U.S.-Mexico border this fiscal year, with many facing increasingly treacherous conditions on their journeys to the U.S., CNN reported. 

Driving the news: After a sweeping operation last month, four Guatemalans are facing extradition to the U.S., suspected of smuggling "large numbers" of migrants across Mexico and leading a woman to her death in Texas last April. It would be the first time Guatemalan citizens are extradited on suspicion of human smuggling.

More extraditions for migrant smugglers are likely to come, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting deputy director Patrick J. Lechleitner, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations.

"I do think we're going to be trying to use that tool to enhance the penalties," he told Axios.

What to watch: The four Guatemalan smugglers currently facing extradition were apprehended in early August as part of a multi-site raid across Guatemala involving Guatemalan national police and military and a Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU) of law enforcement trained by the U.S. There were a total of 19 arrests.

Their extradition could open doors for others responsible for high-profile, deadly smuggling incidents to face prosecution in the U.S.

The same TCIU is currently investigating two such incidents — including the recent tragedy in San Antonio that left 53 migrants dead inside a tractor-trailer.  

The Justice Department has already filed charges against the four suspected smugglers connected to what is considered the most deadly human smuggling tragedy on U.S. soil.

The U.S.-backed Guatemalan investigators are also looking into a case from December that left 55 migrants dead when another tractor-trailer overturned in Chiapas, Mexico.

Between the lines: Limited legal pathways to the U.S. and deteriorating situations in Latin American countries are some of the factors that lead migrants and asylum seekers to turn to smugglers to help them reach the U.S. 

Smugglers have little incentive to keep migrants safe, and the journey is often perilous.

What they're saying: The decision to bring human smugglers to the U.S. shows the government's determination to hold to account criminals who take advantage of — and endanger — desperate and impoverished people, U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala William Popp told Axios.

In addition to being prosecuted in Guatemala, where there is a history of corruption and impunity, arrested smugglers could also face prosecution in the U.S.

The new efforts could help U.S. investigators learn more about how smuggling groups operate and forge new strategies for dismantling them, officials said. 

The big picture: Extradition of smugglers from anywhere in the world is rare. Some countries do not allow nationals to be sent to the U.S. to face the justice system for human smuggling. 

The Biden administration is in talks with the government of multiple nations in the hemisphere on increasing penalties for human smugglers at home and opening up pathways for prosecution in the U.S. as well, Lechleitner said.

Guatemala recently changed its own sentencing guidelines, with convicted human smugglers now facing up to 30 years behind bars.

By the numbers: Guatemala is one of the most cooperative partners the U.S. has in the region on issues like migration and trafficking. It extradited a record 67 individuals — mostly drug traffickers — last fiscal year.

DHS officials told Axios they are on track this year to see the second-highest number of extraditions, with 31 arrests of extraditable people so far — including the four suspected Guatamalans.

Biden's smuggler crackdown

For the first time, Guatemalans are facing extradition to the U.S. for human smuggling.

A makeshift memorial is erected at the site where 53 migrants died in San Antonio. Photo: Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images

GUATEMALA CITY — The Biden administration could begin forcing more human smugglers arrested in other countries to face the U.S. justice system in an effort to crack down on the illegal networks booming throughout the Western Hemisphere.Why it matters: The border crisis is both a humanitarian challenge and a sensitive political issue that Republicans have aggressively campaigned on, sometimes <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="prompting Democrats" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/23/politics/democrats-biden-title-42-immigration-border/index.html" data-vars-content-id="979271f5-3f6e-4219-ad2a-ac65878a08d8" data-vars-headline="Biden&#x27;s smuggler crackdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/23/politics/democrats-biden-title-42-immigration-border/index.html" target="_blank">prompting Democrats</a> in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="close midterm contests" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/11/new-hampshire-democrats-hassan-biden" data-vars-content-id="979271f5-3f6e-4219-ad2a-ac65878a08d8" data-vars-headline="Biden&#x27;s smuggler crackdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/11/new-hampshire-democrats-hassan-biden" target="_self">close midterm contests</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="criticize" data-vars-click-url="https://nypost.com/2021/10/29/dem-rep-cuellar-biden-ignoring-locals-for-activists-in-border-crisis/" data-vars-content-id="979271f5-3f6e-4219-ad2a-ac65878a08d8" data-vars-headline="Biden&#x27;s smuggler crackdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nypost.com/2021/10/29/dem-rep-cuellar-biden-ignoring-locals-for-activists-in-border-crisis/" target="_blank">criticize</a> their own president.

Cabinet heads and White House officials will meet Friday morning to discuss a range of pressing immigration issues — including "litigation options" to respond to GOP governors transporting unauthorized immigrants from the border to other parts of the country, according to planning documents viewed by Axios.

Why it matters: News that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chartered two planes to fly roughly 50 migrants — mostly Venezuelan — to Martha's Vineyard has triggered a wave of backlash from Democrats and immigration advocates, with many condemning the move as political and inhumane.

Driving the news: One asylum-seeker, Katiuska from Caracas, Venezuela, told Axios Boston co-author Steph Solis — who spent today on the ground in Martha's Vineyard — that she was told the group was going to New York City. Others said they believed they were heading to Boston.

GOP Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona have for months been busing thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers from their border states to Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago, which are all run by Democratic mayors. 

Abbott also claimed responsibility today for sending two busloads of migrants and asylum-seekers to Vice President Kamala Harris' home in D.C.

The big picture: Immigration has proven to be a major logistical and political headache for the Biden administration, providing fodder for Republicans who have seized on the border crisis to hammer Democrats ahead of the midterms.

The actions by DeSantis and other Republican governors are viewed as publicity stunts intended to draw attention to Biden's handling of the border crisis, rather than provide solutions that would address the realities of the strained immigration system.

Border officials are now encountering an average of 8,500 migrants and asylum-seekers a day — a strikingly high number, according to government data provided to Axios.

Behind the scenes: While details of what might be proposed in the meeting — which was scheduled before the DeSantis move — are unclear, it is expected to bring together high-level officials at the White House and the departments of Homeland Security, State, Justice and Defense, including secretaries.

Intra-agency immigration meetings are held regularly, a senior administration official noted to Axios, regardless of whether the issue is dominating the political conversation.

"This should not be about political stunts. It should be about how the whole of government gets the 8,500 encounters a day down," another administration official told Axios, expressing frustration about the focus on DeSantis’ actions.

The intrigue: The Trump White House proposed transporting detained immigrants to "sanctuary cities" in 2018 and 2019, but was rebuffed by the legal department at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

What they're saying: "We continue to urge states to coordinate closely with nonprofit organizations and local governments on efforts to facilitate voluntary migrant transportation. Failure to coordinate is irresponsible and creates unsafe conditions for vulnerable migrants as well as the receiving jurisdictions," a DHS spokesperson told Axios.

Zoom out: Migrant shelters and border patrol in El Paso, in particular, have been overwhelmed by large numbers of migrants and asylum-seekers crossing the border.

Many are arriving from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba — countries plagued by political and economic instability. Chilly diplomatic relations make it difficult for the U.S. to return migrants from these countries if they do not qualify for asylum or other statuses in the United States.

The situation in El Paso — as well as the overall surge in Venezuelans, Cubans and Nicaraguans at the border — is expected to be discussed in the high-level Friday meeting, according to officials familiar with the agenda.

What to watch: The Biden administration has long considered plans to use its own federal resources to more quickly move migrants away from overcrowded border areas to be processed closer to their final destinations. 

Dallas

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Scoop: Biden officials to discuss "litigation options" over migrant buses

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chartered two planes to fly roughly 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Illegal immigration

Cabinet heads and White House officials will meet Friday morning to discuss a range of pressing immigration issues — including &quot;litigation options&quot; to respond to GOP governors <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="transporting unauthorized immigrants" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/15/us/migrant-busing.html" data-vars-content-id="cf074c78-1e06-47b8-9b35-11dcc8ea684d" data-vars-headline="Scoop: Biden officials to discuss &quot;litigation options&quot; over migrant buses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/15/us/migrant-busing.html" target="_blank">transporting unauthorized immigrants</a> from the border to other parts of the country, according to planning documents viewed by Axios.Why it matters: News that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="chartered two planes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/florida-desantis-migrants-immigration" data-vars-content-id="cf074c78-1e06-47b8-9b35-11dcc8ea684d" data-vars-headline="Scoop: Biden officials to discuss &quot;litigation options&quot; over migrant buses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/florida-desantis-migrants-immigration" target="_self">chartered two planes</a> to fly roughly 50 migrants — mostly Venezuelan — to Martha&#x27;s Vineyard has triggered a wave of backlash from Democrats and immigration advocates, with many condemning the move as political and inhumane.

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Stories

Search interest in abortion falls as the border rises

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

Scoop: Biden officials to discuss "litigation options" over migrant buses

Biden's smuggler crackdown

Axios in Guatemala: Inside U.S. efforts to stop human smuggling