20 GOP Governors Demand Biden Fix Border Crisis

The Republican governors of roughly 20 states are demanding that the Biden administration take decisive action on the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, particularly the overwhelming surge of unaccompanied minors coming across the border, and where to house them. 

In a letter addressed to both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the governors of not just border states, but states such as North and South Dakota and New Hampshire, call the situation “unacceptable and unsustainable.”

In the letter, the governors also say that, “The crisis is too big to ignore and is now spilling over the border states into all of our states.”

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The Numbers Could Continue To Rise

Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) apprehended 172,000 immigrants entering the U.S. illegally in March.

Also, close to 19,000 unaccompanied minors, the largest number for one month in recorded history. Predictions are that things could get even worse as the summer months approach.

As the Biden administration attempts to remove children from overcrowded border facilities, HHS has asked states to look into potential housing arrangements. The inability to house huge numbers of people makes up a good portion of the Republican governors’ demand for action. 

In the letter, the governors addressed the Biden administration’s seemingly open border policy, “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.”

The letter continues, “We have neither the resources nor the obligation to solve the federal government’s problem and foot the bill for the consequences of this administration’s misguided actions.”

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Other Problems Accompanying The Unaccompanied 

The governors echoed the statements of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador when he stated of illegal immigrants that, “They see him as the migrant president, and so many feel they’re going to reach the United States. We need to work together to regulate the flow, because this business can’t be tackled from one day to the next.”

In the letter, the governors also addressed drugs and human trafficking, both of which have increased along the southern border. 

“Law enforcement officials are recovering drugs, illegal narcotics, and weapons being smuggled across the border by cartels — the same cartels that are also trafficking men, women, and children and jeopardizing their lives. At a time when our country is trying to recover from a once-in-a-generation pandemic, the last thing we need is a self-created crisis that exploits families, undermines public safety, and threatens our national security. We urge you to take action to end the humanitarian crisis and secure our southern border immediately.”

The letter stated that a reported increase of nearly 233% in fentanyl seizures compared to January 2020.

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Republicans And Democrats Point Fingers At Each Other

Democrats were quick to blame the situation at the border on the Trump administration.

Republicans argue that the Biden administration wasted no time rolling back Trump-era policies and agreements, such as Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which keep immigrants in Mexico while awaiting hearings, and asylum agreements with Central American countries.

Republicans also cite the Biden administration’s increasingly immigrant-friendly rhetoric that they say encourages migrants to make the trip north.

In March, Biden put Vice President Kamala Harris in charge of the illegal immigration crisis, but neither Biden or Harris have yet to visit the region to see the situation first hand. 

Harris is scheduled to visit Mexico and Guatemala in June to discuss the “root causes” of the surge in migration to the U.S. 

The governors who signed the letter to the President also cite negligent immigration policy on the part of the Biden administration.

“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.”