Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, along with 18 other Republican governors from around the country, sent a joint letter to President Joe Biden on Tuesday requesting him to “control the crisis at the southern border.”

“We call on you to take action on the crisis at the southern border immediately,” the letter said. “Contrary to statements from your Administration, the border is neither closed nor secure. In fact, the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) reports a staggering surge in recent crossings: 172,000 encounters in March, the highest number in nearly 20 years, as well as 18,890 unaccompanied children, the largest monthly number in history.”

The letter continued, saying that the crisis is too big to ignore and is spilling over into not just the border states, but others.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asked the states to look at potential housing locations for migrants, according to the letter, also asking private organizations and nonprofits to house unaccompanied migrant children.

It also said that allowing the federal government to place an unlimited number of migrant children into the states’ facilities is unacceptable and unsustainable.

“This Administration has enticed a rush of migrants to our border and incentivized an influx of illegal crossings by using irresponsible rhetoric and reversing a slew of policies — from halting border wall construction to eliminating asylum agreements to refusing to enforce immigration laws,” the letter said. “Even officials of our neighbor, Mexico, reportedly conveyed concerns that the shift in U.S. policy is stoking illegal immigration and creating business for organized crime. As Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated, ‘They see him as the migrant president, and so many feel they’re going to reach the United States. We need to work together to regulate the flow, because this business can’t be tackled from one day to the next.'”

The letter then said that the cause of the border crisis is the reversal of federal policies during the Biden administration’s first 100 days in office.

Another topic addressed was the lack of border security, according to the letter, and a reported 233% increase in the seizure of fentanyl compared to January 2020.

“Law enforcement officials are recovering drugs, illegal narcotics, and weapons being smuggled across the border by cartels — the same cartels that are also trafficking men, women, and children and jeopardizing their lives,” the letter said. “At a time when our country is trying to recover from a once-in-a-generation pandemic, the last thing we need is a self-created crisis that exploits families, undermines public safety, and threatens our national security. We urge you to take action to end the humanitarian crisis and secure our southern border immediately.”

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