There is no way they could have "virtue signaled even harder ...".  If they'd said they'd take the immigrants, Trump would gladly send them there.  There's NO WAY their constituents would stand for it.   They were between a rock and a hard place!  Say nothing, and end up with very angry constituents, or say what they did, and expose themselves as they really are.  Hypocrites.  Well played by the Maestro!