President Joe Biden received a letter that was hand-delivered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) targeting his failure to handle the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Abbott met Biden on a tarmac in El Paso, Texas, Sunday as he got off of Air Force One along with three Democratic lawmakers.
He handed Biden a one-page letter calling on the president to enforce the country’s immigration laws.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gives @POTUS a letter that outlined laws that the governor said would make a great difference, if enforced, in addressing the "chaos" at the border, as Biden arrives in El Paso Texas to visit the border. @GovAbbott pic.twitter.com/ZmHWMYaphv
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) January 8, 2023
Opening the letter, which he also released on Twitter, Abbott addressed Biden’s border trip.
“Your visit to our southern border with Mexico today is $20 billion too little and two years too late. Moreover, your visit avoids the sites where mass illegal immigration occurs and sidesteps the thousands of angry Texas property owners whose lives have been destroyed by your border policies,” Abbott wrote.
He added, “This chaos is the direct result of your failure to enforce the immigration laws that Congress enacted.”
Abbott argued, under Biden, “America is suffering the worst illegal immigration in the history of our country. Your open-border policies have emboldened the cartels, who grow wealthy by trafficking deadly fentanyl and even human beings.”
According to the governor, “Texans are paying an especially high price for your failure, sometimes with their very lives, as local leaders from your own party will tell you if given the chance.”
Additionally, Abbott declared the issues at the border are happening because Biden “violated your constitutional obligation to defend the States against invasion through faithful execution of federal laws.”
The governor then went on to list a series of actions Biden should take to secure the border.
“On behalf of all Americans, I implore you: Secure our border by enforcing Congress’s immigration laws,” Abbott concluded.
Read the letter below:
Hand-delivered a letter to President Biden today during his first visit to the border.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 8, 2023
His trip is $20 billion too little & 2 years too late.
I’m calling on Biden to do his constitutional duty to protect our nation. pic.twitter.com/cy8xgh5EJ2
Abbott also spoke with reporters after handing Biden the letter.
“He needs to step up and take swift action, including reimbursing the state of Texas for the money we spent, but providing more resources for the federal government to do his job,” Abbott said.
He continued, “This is nothing but for show unless he begins to enforce the immigration laws already that exist in the United States of America.”
Watch his comments below:
New: TX Gov. Greg Abbott tells reporters about his interaction with President Biden upon arrival in El Paso. Governor says he gave POTUS a letter and that he believes this visit is two years to late. pic.twitter.com/xhEz9cC7Wi
— Mark Meredith (@markpmeredith) January 8, 2023
Biden received criticism from several others for his late visit to the border, as IJR reported.
