Republican governors on Tuesday called on President Biden to provide more comprehensive data related to 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 asked for “honest, accurate, detailed information” from the Biden administration – immediately and on a regular basis going forward.
“States are on the front lines, working around-the-clock responding to the effects of this crisis: shelters are full, food pantries empty, law enforcement strained, and aid workers exhausted,” the governors wrote in the letter addressed to Biden.
“Though we remain committed to addressing these issues, States cannot afford to respond to a challenge of such 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, requested specific logistical information from the Biden administration, where migrants were admitted and where they were relocated.
“As governors, we call on you and your administration to relay immediately accurate, detailed, thorough data and information to the states about who is crossing the southern border illegally, where they are relocating, how the federal government is processing their asylum applications, and whether they are being deported successfully,” the governors wrote in the letter.
“Without such information, we cannot fulfill our fundamental duties to protect our citizens while providing our communities with appropriate services,” they added.
The Biden administration in May ended Title 42 – the controversial pandemic-era policy that allowed border patrol agents to turn away migrants at the border, citing health risks from the ongoing pandemic. The administration rolled out new policies, however, that blocked certain avenues to asylum claims but they have faced mounting legal challenges from progressive immigration advocates as well as from conservative opponents.
After the Biden administration first implemented the new policies, border crossings dipped in June, but rose again in July. August numbers have yet to be released.