Governor Kristi Noem and 25 other Republican governors wrote to President Biden, urging him to change his failed border policy. The governors requested a meeting within the next 15 days to address this crisis. You can read the letter here.

“The months-long surge in illegal crossings has instigated an international humanitarian crisis, spurred a spike in international criminal activity, and opened the floodgates to human traffickers and drug smugglers endangering public health and safety in our states,” wrote the governors. “A crisis that began at the southern border now extends beyond to every state and requires immediate action before the situation worsens.”

Governor Noem had previously deployed 48 South Dakota National Guard troops to the southern border for a two-month deployment. This was in response to a request from fellow governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona. Governor Noem subsequently announced that South Dakota will be sending an additional 125 members of the National Guard to the border for a 9 to 12-month deployment at the behest of the federal government. That subsequent deployment will be made later this year.

The governors highlighted the efforts by the states to fill the void left by the Biden Administration’s policy mistakes: “While governors are doing what we can, our Constitution requires that the President must faithfully execute the immigration laws passed by Congress. Not only has the federal government created a crisis, it has left our states to deal with challenges that only the federal government has a duty to solve.”

Governor Noem was joined in signing the letter by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.