Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said he would “impose a 100 percent tariff” on New Yorkers moving to Texas.
“After the polls close tomorrow night, I will impose a 100% tariff on anyone moving to Texas from NYC,” the Republican wrote on X on Monday night.
Abbott’s post came on the eve of New York City’s mayoral election, in which democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is the frontrunner.
Tariffs are taxes on goods, not people, and state governors are not permitted to levy taxes on imports from other states, let alone people. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has recognized that the constitutional right to travel includes the right to enter and leave another state freely and to become a permanent resident of another state.
But Abbott’s comment appears to tap into concerns that a wave of New Yorkers who don’t support Mamdani could flee to Texas if he is elected the mayor of the nation’s largest city.
Mamdani triumphed over former New York Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary in June. He faces Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani has promised to raise taxes on the richest New Yorkers and use the money to make city buses free and provide free, universal child care. He has also promised to freeze rent for people living in about 1 million rent-regulated apartments.
President Donald Trump has called Mamdani a “communist” and suggested federal funding cuts to the city if he is elected.
Mamdani would be the city’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor if elected.
This is a developing story. Updates to follow.