Texas Governor Greg Abbott and 10 Republican governors met at the border city of Mission on Oct. 6 to discuss illegal crossings at the Rio Grande.
This is Abbott’s third trip to the southern border in two weeks. He hosted former President Donald Trump in South Texas three months earlier for his first visit to the southern border since leaving office.
The October summit included the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, and a top general from the Texas National Guard.
Abbott was joined by the following governors: Arizona’s Doug Ducey, Georgia’s Brian Kemp, Idaho’s Brad Little, Iowa’s Kim Reynolds, Montana’s Greg Gianforte, Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts, Ohio’s Mike DeWine, Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt, South Dakota’s Kristi Noem, and Wyoming’s Mark Gordon
“The plans for the conference surfaced a few weeks after 18 Republican governors sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting a meeting at the White House to discuss the surging problems at the U.S.-Mexico border. No meeting has yet to occur,” per SBG San Antonio.
In late September, over 10,000 migrants from Haiti congregated under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, overwhelming Customs and Border Protection.
Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard called out President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, saying the “the humanitarian and national security crisis on the southern border is the direct result of your open-border policy.”
The Department of Homeland Security expects at least 400,000 migrants to cross the border in October. That would be double the 21-year-high previously recorded in July. The potential spike is attributed to the possible repeal of Title 42, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order established under President Trump that allows any border officer to immediately turn asylum-seekers away during the pandemic regardless of their status, per The Daily Mail.
Abbott also attributed the crisis at the border to Joe Biden’s open border policies.
"Right now, the federal gov't is not stepping in to take action. So Texas will take action." – @LtChrisOlivarez, Texas Dept. of Public Safety
For months, @TxDPS & Texas Guard have been doing the federal gov't's job.
Unlike Biden, Texas won't stop until our border is secure. pic.twitter.com/OA7WsMDr5j
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 5, 2021
Texas National Guard is gearing up at the border for increased caravans attempting to cross the border caused by Biden’s open border policy.
They are working with the Texas Dept. of Public Safety to seal surge locations at the border & arrest trespassers.
@TexasGuard pic.twitter.com/VAKGoHak0G
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 2, 2021
Idaho Governor Brad Little called on Biden to “secure the border immediately” in a press release. He said he was making the trip to “witness firsthand the crisis playing out” and discuss possible solutions.
In June, Abbott and Ducey co-wrote a formal letter asking “any state that can spare it” to send assistance to help secure the Southern Border. The request is permitted by the Federal Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which empowers states to help one another in times of disaster or emergency.
Abbott deployed the Texas National Gaurd to the border in August.
