Dozens of Republican governors call for meeting with Biden on border surge

A group of 26 Republican governors led by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued an open letter to President Biden requesting a meeting to discuss the surge in illegal border crossings.

“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 wrote.

According to the governors’ letter, border apprehensions have risen by nearly 500 percent when compared to last year, accounting for around 1.3 million people.

The state leaders appeared to take a shot at the “lack of federal action” on the issue and called on Biden to “take action to protect America, restore security, and end the crisis now.”

The letter from the GOP governors comes on the same day the U.S. government began deporting hundreds of Haitian migrants who had been camped under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas.

More than 320 migrants landed in Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince on three flights from the U.S. on Sunday. Border Patrol officials have said that they are aiming to deport the majority of the estimated 12,000 migrants who have been living under a bridge in Texas.

“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 borders,” the governors added in their letter.

They have requested a meeting with Biden within the next 15 days.

The letter was also signed by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Arkansas. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.