Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis says the federal government should step in to help ease the state’s ongoing migrant crisis after ending a program to bus migrants to Chicago and New York city that garnered backlash from the governors of those states.
“States can’t solve immigration,” Polis said in an interview Friday with Meet the Press NOW. “We do the best with what we have.”
Polis says the federal government can and should provide temporary protected status for more migrants saying it would turn a “burden into an asset” as Colorado deals with a worker shortage.
“I wish we had the ability to grant work permits, we don’t,” Polis said, “We have two job openings for every applicant, so we need them.”
Polis also weighed in on the current debate over entitlement reforms, saying that the parties "can’t demonize the other” over the issue. President Biden sparked a furor after accusing some Republicans for not protecting Medicare and Social Security during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
“The answer is not to stick your head in the sand," Polis said. "I want to save it,” he added, “it’s something that people have to do together. … The only way to do this is through math, not ideology.”
After Biden hosted a group of the nation’s governors at the White House Friday, Polis said he’d support the president for another term once he announces his run.
“The president needs to be the one who says I’m running and I’ll be excited to support him,” Polis said, “I’ll be enthusiastic if he’s enthusiastic.”
