The Russian Federal Migration Service's announcement came the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly approved tougher migration rules. But this stance against illegal immigration from Georgia and other countries is not new. Russia has used the immigration issue for political purposes, deporting illegal migrant workers when there was a need to do so. For example, in 2006, Russia deported more than 1,000 Georgians just after NATO offered Georgia an Intensified Dialogue plan. In 2011, Russia deported approximately 300 Tajik immigrants after Tajikistan jailed ethnic Russian pilots. Moscow threatened to deport thousands more Tajiks, thus pressuring Tajikistan into overturning the pilots' incarceration.

Because Russia has used immigrants as a tool during periods of diplomatic tension with specific countries, Russia's most recent threat to deport illegal Georgian immigrants should be viewed in a similar context. The announcement came several days after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Georgia and a few weeks after Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili attended a NATO summit in Chicago. During Clinton's visit, the two sides discussed increasing Georgia's defensive combat engineer capabilities, improving officer training and leadership skills, and giving Georgia's brigade headquarters greater command and control abilities. The countries also agreed to increase cooperation in coming months.

The United States likely will not equip Georgia with anti-tank or air defense weapons for homeland defense, but Washington will continue training Georgian officers and upgrading the country's transport helicopters. Additionally, reports have surfaced as recently as June 15 that the United States has pledged to help Georgia develop its air defenses and coastal surveillance capabilities.

These developments in U.S.-Georgian relations indicate a continued U.S. focus on Georgia, which Russia does not appreciate because of the broader geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Moscow. The two disagree on numerous issues, the most prominent of which is the United States' ballistic missile defense plans for Central Europe.

Although Russia still has a strong presence in Georgia's breakaway territories, Moscow feels it needs to send a message about its unhappiness with the developments between Georgia and the West. Russia's move likely is meant to make Georgia pull back in its security relationship with the United States. Moscow's follow-through on its threat to deport the illegal Georgian immigrants will indicate its level of concern about the increasing security cooperation between Tbilisi and Washington.