Twenty-six Republican governors sent a letter on Monday to President Joe Biden for an urgent meeting to “take action” to address the growing border crisis.
“As chief executives of our states, we request a meeting with you at The White House to bring an end to the national security crisis created by eight months of unenforced borders,” the letter began.
“The months-long surge in illegal crossings has instigated an international humanitarian crisis, spurred a spike in international criminal activity, and opened the floodgates to human traffickers and drug smugglers endangering public health and safety in our states,” the governors continued.
“As President, you have the ability to take action to protect America, restore security, and end the crisis now.”
The letter was posted to Twitter by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.
I sent a letter with 25 fellow governors requesting an urgent meeting with President Biden to find meaningful solutions to the worst border crisis in more than two decades.
Read the letter here: https://t.co/9QWDkZeJfG
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) September 20, 2021
The letter also cited a report by The Washington Post that noted August was the second month in a row that more than 200,000 migrants have been detained.
“Border apprehensions are up almost 500% compared to last year, totaling more than 1.3 million — more people than the populations of nine U.S. states,” the letter said.
The governors also expressed concern regarding increased drug trafficking across the southern border, including enough fentanyl to kill seven times the U.S. population.
“Approximately 9,700 illegal apprehensions have prior criminal convictions,” the letter stated. “{Cartels and traffickers are making $14 million a day moving people illegally across the border. More fentanyl has been seized this fiscal year than the last three years combined — almost 10,500 pounds of fentanyl when only 2 milligrams prove fatal. This is enough to kill seven times the U.S. population.”
The letter followed a call by Ducey in August for the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Alejandro Mayorkas to resign following leaked comments regarding the border crisis.
“This administration has completely lost control of the border,” Ducey said in a statement
“And with his comments, Secretary Mayorkas demonstrated that he fully understands the catastrophe playing out at the border, and yet he lacks the skill, ability and will to address it adequately,” he added.
The letter also followed a visit by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday to Del Rio, Texas, where more than 10,000 migrants were awaiting processing.
“Being briefed by @CBP on the escalating #BidenBorderCrisis while yards away from over 10,000 illegal aliens,” Cruz wrote in a Twitter post.
“This is a manmade disaster. And it is a direct result of Joe Biden’s political decisions,” Cruz said.
Being briefed by @CBP on the escalating #BidenBorderCrisis while yards away from over 10,000 illegal aliens.
This is a manmade disaster. And it is a direct result of Joe Biden’s political decisions. pic.twitter.com/gLUFq4LTjw
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) September 17, 2021
“Joe Biden’s policies are encouraging this staggering rush of illegal aliens,” Cruz wrote in a separate Twitter post Thursday.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
