“The crisis is too big to ignore and is now spilling over the border states into all of our states,” a letter signed by 20 governors and sent to the Biden White House says.
The letter, sent Tuesday, squarely places blame on the Biden administration for the border crisis.
"This Administration has enticed a rush of migrants to our border and incentivized an influx of illegal crossings by using irresponsible rhetoric and reversing a slew of policies—from halting border wall construction to eliminating asylum agreements to refusing to enforce immigration laws. Even officials of our neighbor, Mexico, reportedly conveyed concerns that the shift in U.S. policy is stoking illegal immigration and creating business for organized crime."
“The cause of the border crisis is entirely due to reckless federal policy reversals executed within your first 100 days in office. The rhetoric of the Biden Administration and the rollback of critical agreements with our allies have led to the inhumane treatment of tens of thousands of children and undermined a fragile immigration system,” the letter claims.
The governors note that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) reported that March border encounters were 172,000, the highest number in nearly 20 years. And CBP encountered 18,890 unaccompanied children in March, the largest monthly number in history.
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“We urge you to take action to end the humanitarian crisis and secure our southern border immediately," concluded the governors.
The letter was signed by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Missouri Governor Greg Parsons, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.