Migrants from Venezuela, who boarded a bus in Texas, wait on September 15, 2022 to be transported to a local church by volunteers after being dropped off outside the residence of US Vice President Kamala Harris, at the Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP

The latest stunts staged by the two political parties in the US have reached a new low, as the midterm elections are approaching. The subject this time is migrants. 

All migrants who step on the American soil have their "American dream." But their "American dream" may turn into a nightmare as they're being trampled under the feet of US politicians who view them as stepping stones to achieve their own partisan interests.

To protest President Joe Biden and his administration's immigration policies, state Republican officials have been sending migrants to Democratic-led jurisdictions, such as Washington DC, New York and Chicago. On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, took credit for flying roughly 50 Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard, an island off the Massachusetts coast. The next day, Texas Governor Greg Abbott boasted about busing another group of migrants to a street near Vice President Kamala Harris' official residence in Washington DC.

The Democrats didn't sit still. In the face of the offensives from their opponents, the Democrats, instead of making efforts to solve the problems of migrants, launched opinion counteroffensives. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused the Republican politicians of committing crimes against humanity. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre denounced the actions of sending migrants to Martha's Vineyard and Vice President Harris' residence in DC as "shameful … Reckless and just plain wrong."

What has astonished US watchers is that US politicians, be they Democrats or Republicans, are just bottomless when making a political stunt. The politicians from a country that is rich in resources and touts about "human rights" every day view migrants only as a tool to attack opponents and achieve political ends. They are just political opportunists. 

The Republicans would rather spend the money on relocation of migrants than provide shelters and necessities to them. US media reported that Texas has spent more than $12 million sending busloads of migrants to East Coast cities, according to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. DeSantis said on Friday that he intends to use "every penny" of the $12 million that his state has budgeted to relocate migrants and set the expectation for buses and "likely more" flights full of migrants paid for by the state.

Meanwhile, despite earning a reputation of being "open and tolerant" to migrants, the Democrats, through this political stunt, only prove themselves no less hostile and fearful toward migrants than their Republican counterparts. A story from NBC News on Saturday quoted Max Lefeld, founder of Casa Venezuela Dallas foundation - a charity group dedicated to helping refugees - who described the relocation as taking out the "trash." Many believe the interviewee who advocates accepting refugees and the left-leaning media outlet truly view refugees and migrants as "trash." A few years ago, former US president Donald Trump decried migrants from "shithole countries" coming to the US. And now the Democrats are also speaking out their minds - they all view migrants as hot potatoes. 

Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University, told the Global Times that it is not surprising such political stunts take place in the US, a country in its political decay. 

"The US political system determines that the federal government and the state governments will inevitably lack coordination in major issues, and the inability of politicians exacerbates this systematic flaw. If the political parties want to get their desired election results, they can only resort to political stunts," said Shen.

According to Xu Liang, an associate professor at the School of International Relations of Beijing International Studies University, the migrant issue is the tool of partisan struggles.

"The purpose of playing the card of migrants is to grab power. From a short-term perspective, it is to serve the need of [the upcoming] midterm elections. The interests of migrants are not what the two political parties care about," Xu told the Global Times.

President Biden accused the Republican officials of playing politics with human beings and using them as props, which he said is "un-American." But the question is: what is "American"? Perhaps Harris should open the gate of her residence and let migrants in. That is supposed to be "American."

The US, the melting pot and a nation of immigrants, should embrace new migrants like the Indians accepted the Puritans in the 17th century. Not long after the midterm elections, the US will have this year's Thanksgiving Day. Will US politicians leave their doors open?