Republican governors on Tuesday called on President Biden to provide more comprehensive data on migration at the southern border and claimed states were suffering financially because of his administration’s policies.
In a letter obtained by Fox News, the governors tried to draw attention to the issue and requested “truthful, accurate and detailed information” from the Biden administration – immediately and regularly going forward.
“States are on the front lines, working around the clock to respond to the impact of this crisis: shelters are full, food warehouses are empty, law enforcement is strained, and aid workers are exhausted,” the governors wrote in a letter addressed to Biden.
“While we remain committed to addressing these issues, states are unable to respond to a challenge of this magnitude while the federal government continues to turn a blind eye,” they wrote.
The group of 25 governors, led by Gov. Greg Gianforte of Montana, asked the Biden administration for specific logistical information on where migrants are being received and where they are being relocated.
“As governor, we ask you and your administration to immediately provide the state with accurate, detailed, and comprehensive data and information about who is crossing the southern border illegally, where they are moving, how the federal government is processing their asylum applications, and whether they were successfully deported,” the governor wrote in the letter.
“Without such information, we cannot fulfill our fundamental duty to protect our citizens while providing appropriate services to our communities,” they added.
The Biden administration in May ended Title 42 – a controversial pandemic-era policy that allowed border patrol agents to turn away migrants at the border, citing health risks from the ongoing pandemic. However, the administration is passing new policies that block certain avenues for applying for asylum, but these policies are facing increasing legal challenges from progressive immigration advocates as well as from conservative opponents.
After the Biden administration first implemented the new policy, the number of border crossings decreased in June, but increased again in July. August figures have not yet been released.
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