Republican governors from 26 states demanded a meeting with President Joe Biden to discuss the ongoing border crisis, according to a Monday letter from Republican Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona.
The governors said illegal border crossings pose a threat to Americans and migrants alike and have caused a humanitarian crisis at the southern border, according to the letter. The officials are “seeking an open and constructive dialogue regarding border enforcement on behalf of U.S. citizens in our states and all those hoping to become U.S. citizens,” according to the letter.
“We must end the current crisis and return to border operations that respect the laws of our land and the lives of all people, including those in our states looking to the federal government to enforce and protect our nation’s border,” the letter reads.
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 officials asked Biden to meet with them in the next two weeks, as border apprehensions remain at record highs and drug, human and weapons trafficking continues, according to the letter. (RELATED: ‘Worst Case Scenario’: Democratic Texas Mayor Urges Biden To Take ‘Quick Action’ On Border Crisis)
“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,” according to the letter. “Approximately 9,700 illegal apprehensions have prior criminal convictions.”
“Cartels and traffickers are making $14 million a day moving people illegally across the border,” according to the letter. “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.”
Border officials encountered nearly 209,000 migrants at the southern border in August, according to Customs and Border Protection data. Officials in southern Texas are dealing with over 10,000 Haitian migrants waiting to be processed at a temporary camp under the Del Rio International Bridge, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.
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