Texas Gov. Abbott asks every governor for help with border crisis; 24 Republicans respond

by Chris Lange

Chris Lange, FISM News

 

Republican governors in 24 states have responded to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for help as tens of thousands of foreign nationals have poured into the Rio Grande Valley and other portions of the state all within the last few days.

Abbott sent letters on Tuesday to every governor in the nation urging them to support his state’s border security efforts in the wake of the Biden administration’s decision to end the Title 42 pandemic-era migrant expulsion policy last week and the president’s “continued refusal to enforce federal immigration laws.” 

The Texas governor invoked the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) which allows member states to share resources during times of emergency or disaster, “both of which accurately describe the current border crisis.”

“Since taking office, President Biden has willfully refused to enforce our nation’s immigration laws while systematically dismantling every effective border security policy that previously led to the lowest number of illegal border crossings in decades,” Abbott continued in the letter. The governor said that Biden’s border policies have allowed “Mexican drug cartels and other transnational criminal enterprises [to] profit off of this chaos” which he said extends well beyond the Lone Star State.

“In the federal government’s absence, we, as Governors, must band together to combat President Biden’s ongoing border crisis and ensure the safety and security that all Americans deserve,” Abbott continued.

Tens of thousands of migrants poured into the Rio Grande Valley and other parts of Texas within the past few days, according to a Washington Examiner report. Abbott already has stationed more than 10,000 Texas National Guard members at the border where several communities have declared emergencies.

GOVS. DESANTIS, LITTLE DEPLOY ASSETS TO TEXAS BORDER

In his letter, Abbott thanked the governors of Florida and Idaho who were among the first to offer assistance.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he allocated 1,100 “assets and resources” to help Texas defend its border, including 800 state National Guard members, hundreds of law enforcement personnel, aircraft fitted with monitoring equipment, and emergency management personnel, to name a few.

DeSantis said that Florida “stands ready to help defend the southern border and is deploying assets to aid Texas’ border security crisis” in a press release.

“The impacts of Biden’s Border Crisis are felt by communities across the nation, and the federal government’s abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law,” DeSantis declared in a statement. “At my direction, state agencies including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats, and planes.”

Idaho Gov. Brad Little committed to deploying an unspecified number of state police to provide additional assistance.

“Idaho is proud to support @GovAbbott alongside @GovRonDeSantis in response to the ongoing border crisis. We are stepping up to protect our communities and our nation!” Little said in a tweet.

“With the help of states like Idaho, we continue to fill dangerous gaps created by Biden’s open border policies,” Abbott said.

In total, 24 Republican governors pledged support for Texas.

“While the federal government has abdicated its duties, Republican governors stand ready to protect the U.S.-Mexico border and keep families safe,” they wrote in a joint letter.

The governors argued that “every state is a border state due to the devastating influx of drugs in our communities.”

They continued: “Republican governors are leading the way to address the border crisis by increasing fentanyl sentencing and increasing support for law enforcement interdiction of drugs, among other measures.”

The missive also praised Abbott for courageously tackling the border crisis head-on while the federal government continues to ignore his repeated calls to address the humanitarian disaster.

“Texas Governor Greg Abbott has exemplified leadership at a critical time, leading the way with Operation Lone Star, and deploying the Texas Tactical Border Force to prevent illegal crossings and keep the border secure,” the governors said. “We support the efforts to secure the border led by Governor Abbott.”

Abbott made a point of noting in his letter that, since Biden took office in 2021, Texas has been forced to spend more than $4.5 billion “on essential border security operations” and that the state will need more than that amount for the next two years.

“Additionally, Texas’ continued work building our border wall has been funded through hundreds of millions of Texas taxpayer dollars and through private donations totaling more than $55 million to date,” Abbott wrote, adding that “Texas alone should not have to shoulder the financial burden of protecting our nation.”

This article was partially informed by The Center Square and Axios reports.

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