Texas is getting a little help from its friends to deal with the ongoing surge of illegal immigrants and drugs at the southern border. Gov. Greg Abbott this week welcomed ten fellow Republican governors, from states ranging from Arizona to Ohio, for a first-hand look at the border crisis. "While (President) Biden continues to dither, Texas and other states are taking action to do the federal government's job," Abbott said at a briefing in the Rio Grande Valley Wednesday, flanked by fellow governors and law enforcement officials.
The governors released a ten-point plan to secure the border, which includes ending catch-and-release, finishing border fencing, and continuing deportations under the Title 42 public health rule. "We believe the states are authorized by the United States Constitution to do exactly what Texas is doing under the ten-point plan that we are already acting on right now," says Abbott.
Abbott and the other governors argue the issue is particularly urgent right now, with reports of new migrant caravans making their way toward the U.S. border. The governor specifically called out U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "I cannot count the number of misrepresentations that have been made by Secretary Mayorkas," said Abbott. "He has continuously misled the American public, including by saying the border is closed and secure...which couldn't be further from the truth."
The governors say they requested a meeting with President Biden to discuss the issue, but got no response. So they will continue to deliver the message from afar. "Our job is to secure the health, safety and security of our constituents," said Abbott. "And if Joe Biden's not going to do it, the governors of the United States of America will do it."