Twenty-six of America’s governors agree to work together to fight to stem the criminal activity that stems from the migrant crisis at the border in an effort called the American Governors’ Border Strike Force.
As part of the effort, the governors intend to work to counteract the surge of smuggling and illegal drugs into the U.S. — without the federal government’s assistance.
What is the border strike force, and why have the governors formed it?
States overwhelmed
Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey recently touted the governor’s effort saying the situation on the border is “the worst border crisis in the last 50 years, and it’s only going to get worse when they lift Title 42.”
The current effort is modeled after the 2015 Arizona Border Strike Force. Gov. Ducey said that he and fellow governors plan to work together “to share information [and] law enforcement assets so that we can track down cartels and drug activity to not only put the bad guys behind bars, but to eliminate and reduce the number of overdose deaths that are happening in our schools, neighborhoods, and cities.”
“As governors, we’re doing everything we can,” said Ducey.
“This is the federal government’s responsibility. Our people in southern Arizona are absolutely overwhelmed, as are the federal government’s Customs and Border Protection, law enforcement agents, along with border patrol.
“We need support from the federal government, but they’re averting their gaze. They’ve got an open borders policy, and all of our states are paying for this, specifically our border states.”
Border crisis affects all states
Ducey said that because of the lack of law and order on the southern border a “terrible poison” is now traveling across America after President Biden’s administration put the “drug cartels in charge of their border policy.”
“Every state is a border state right now,” said Ducey.
“These drugs may come across the southern border and affect Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and California, but these overdoses are happening in places like Omaha, Indianapolis, and Toledo, Ohio. Every governor that cares about kids and young people — and the rule of law — cares about enforcement on our border.”
Ducey also explained that cartels are “using the human smuggling component of a broken border to distract good men and women doing the best that they can — even with the support of the National Guard at the state level — to bring these drugs over in mass and to sell them in our neighborhoods.”
Governors line up to support force
Several of Ducey’s gubernatorial counterparts echo his remarks and emphasize the importance of the new American Governors’ Border Strike Force in countering the Biden administration’s failure to secure the porous southern border.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said the administration’s “open border policies have created an ongoing crisis along our southern border and across our nation, with over 1,000 Texans dying from fentanyl last year and a spread of fentanyl deaths throughout the country.”
“Twenty-five of my fellow governors signed this agreement because it’s clear that this border crisis has significant impacts into communities beyond border states like Texas,” said Abbott.
“Through this multi-state agreement, our states will be working collaboratively to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations by increasing collaboration, improving intelligence, investing in analysis, combating human smuggling, and stopping drug flow into our states and our nation.
“While the Biden Administration turns a blind eye to the suffering of Americans, Republican governors are leading the way in solving border problems.”
Border has deteriorated into a ‘warzone’
South Dakota Republican Kristi Noem emphasized the critical situation on the border that caused her to act.
“President Biden has failed to secure the border, and it has deteriorated into a warzone that is threatening all of our communities. South Dakota has sent National Guard to the border. Republican Governors are launching a Border Strike Force to secure our communities and partner together to protect our people.”
Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey echoed Noem saying, “The crisis at our Southern Border is truly a national emergency, especially as the Biden-Harris Administration has made clear they are ending Title 42.
“This Biden crisis affects every single state, including Alabama, and where this a total absence of leadership from the White House, us Republican governors are stepping up in full force.”
Ivey emphasized that the governors had to act. “I think we have no other option at this point because the White House could not be more hard-headed on this issue.”
Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine said the issue at the border with Mexico is “not just an Ohio problem, or an Arizona problem, or a Texas problem.”
He continued, “It affects every American community. This strike force will be a ‘force multiplier,’ combining resources to target cartels and stop criminal networks from distributing these deadly poisons across the United States. I am proud that Ohio is part of this important battle.”
Title 42 is a policy in place since March 2020 that provides the ability for American officials to block migrants from entering the country during a health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic.
The Biden administration says it will end Title 42 on May 23.
