New Jersey’s Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy is pushing back on a plan to fly undocumented immigrants to his state, suggesting that New Jersey is now effectively off-limits to planned federal flights dropping off undocumented immigrants. It was a striking reversal for a politician who campaigned for office on the pledge that New Jersey will always be a sanctuary state. In 2017, he declared “We’ll be a sanctuary – not just city – but state.” However, it was easier to become a sanctuary state than a closed state. President Joe Biden’s authority trumps that of Murphy in the expected flights.

[“Striking” is one word for it. “Hypocritical,” “pusillanimous,” and “corrupt” are other applicable terms. Murphy had a great time virtue signaling his refusal to cooperate with immigration-law enforcement when it didn’t cost him a dime, and while it sent all sorts of signals to migrants to flood states like Texas and other border states. Now that Murphy’s getting stuck with the bill, he wants to pretend he didn’t order the meal. “Pusillanimous” is too nice a term. — Ed]