SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In an interview at the U.S.- Mexico border with ABC News, Governor Gavin Newsom said the federal government should be doing more to address the migrant crisis.
"The federal government is sending more and more flights, and more and more buses directly here to California because this state is doing what no other state's doing," Newsom told ABC's Matt Guttman, "and that's absorbing and protecting and preserving our values and advancing them by doing health care screenings, and taking care of folks, and the more we do, the burden is placed disproportionate on us."
Newsom said the state is overwhelmed.
"We're already at capacity and nine of our sites," said Newsom. "We can't continue to fund all of these sites because of the budgetary pressures now being placed on this state and the offsetting issues that I have to address."
He said with Title 42 being lifted in one week, the state will not be able to handle the influx.
"The reality is, unless we're doing what we're doing, people will end up on the streets," said Newsom.
Newsom said this is an issue that needs to be addressed by Republicans and Democrats, but not like how Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is doing it by sending immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard.
"I mean, that's just comedy and tragedy," said Newsom.
He said the system is about to break in California.
"The fact is, what we've got right now is not working, and it's about to break in a post-42 world unless we take some responsibility and ownership," said Newsom. "I'm saying that as a Democrat. I'm not saying that to point fingers. I'm saying that as a father, I'm saying that as someone that feels responsible for being part of the solution, and I'm trying to do my best here."
The California Press Corp, in charge of covering the governor, was not invited to this border tour. Political Analyst Steve Swatt said that was not accidental.
“He (Newsom) would like nothing better than to be the firebrand on the left for Democrats who is willing to take on governors DeSantis and Abbott on the immigration issue," said Swatt, "because it's so important to California in a different way than perhaps it's important to those states."
Newsom said he would be willing to work with Governor DeSantis and Abbot if they are willing “to put aside their cruelty and their zest for demonization.”
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