The White House is trying to identify federal spaces to offer to cities as President Joe Biden comes under increasing pressure to provide more help to places overwhelmed by migrant arrivals.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has sent thousands of migrants to Democratic-led cities nationwide in an uncoordinated manner in a protest at the president’s immigration policies—fueling frustration from Democratic mayors and governors thousands of miles from the US southern border.
It’s placed a potent political issue at the forefront and soured allies of the president going into a heated election year.
Behind the scenes, though, Biden administration officials have been surveying federal spaces to help cities—including Denver, Chicago, and New York City—house arriving migrants amid growing concerns of packed shelters and tight budgets, according to a senior White House official.
Senior White House officials, including director of the White House of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez, have been in daily conversations with cities.
“The conversations are identical. We’re scouring federal landscape to identify potential sites that could be used for housing,” the senior White House official said, citing some hurdles including, for example, limited federal property in Chicago.
Officials are also talking to archdioceses to identify closed schools and churches.
“We’re trying to be as creative as we can. The question on housing is the same question everywhere,” the senior White House official added. “We were identifying military bases that might have capacity. But again, every city has somewhat unique challenges.”
In a statement, the city of Denver described the efforts as “helpful.”
“While we haven’t moved forward with a site yet, it’s always helpful to work directly with…
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