GOP governors across the country vow to back Texas in border security efforts
EAGLE PASS - Governors from across the country stood at the border Sunday, vowing to back Texas and its border security efforts.
The support came a day after a cross-country convoy of people also rallied in support, and as lawmakers in Washington unveiled details of a new immigration bill.
In a place where thousands of people were crossing a month ago, Shelby Park is empty. Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that's because of the barriers Texas put up, something other state leaders vowed to continue to help Texas expand.
In front of Texas National Guard members and backed by 13 Republican governors, Abbott touted the success of taking over border security from the federal government and he promised again to extend the effort as long, and as far, as needed.
"If Arizona and California did what we're doing here, you would eliminate immigration overnight," Abbott said.
He said there have been an average of just three people per day crossing there for the past three days.
But with crossings increasing to the west, governors from Montana to New Hampshire joined Abbott, saying the issue was not just a Texas problem.
"Every state in our country now is a border state," said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. "When you think of the amount of fentanyl and human trafficking, they're coming to every state in the county, and they're having to deal with it."
MORE: Texas Border Crisis
It was a false narrative Abbott said, that taking over a federal job could lead to more serious conflict with the federal government.
But on a weekend when people came from across the country to rally for border security, he did say law and order needs to be left to law enforcement.
"We don't want anybody taking any vigilante action," Abbott said. "We believe in public safety ... All we want is to enforce the laws of the USA."
The governor was asked about the new bill coming in the Senate. The specifics weren't out yet Sunday afternoon, but he repeated that he believes the president doesn't need a new bill to take stronger action now.
If passed, the bipartisan bill would be the first dramatic change to federal immigration laws in decades.
The bill would give the president new emergency authority to restrict border crossings if migrant encounters pass a certain daily threshold. It would also raise the legal standard for asylum claims and speed up the processing of those cases to six months. Right now they can take years.
Expanded migrant work permits and more money for border patrol agents are also included.
Those border security proposals are just part of a larger national security package that also includes more money for Ukraine and Israel. Biden has signaled that he would sign it. But first, the bill has a steep climb through Congress. Former president Trump is reportedly asking his republican allies there to vote it down this coming week.