Arizona governor calls for strengthening border security

ARIZONA – Arizona Governor Doug Ducey joined 25 of his U.S. counterparts in calling for increased security measures along the border with Mexico.

The announcement of the U.S. Governors Border Strike Force by Ducey and his Texas counterpart, Greg Abbott follows a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report that revealed that migrant crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border are at the highest level in two decades.

According to the Arizona government, since its inception, the Border Strike Force has seized 985 pounds of fentanyl, 13,100 pounds of methamphetamine, 1,704 pounds of cocaine and 801 pounds of heroin in that state alone.

“What we’re doing in Arizona is working. But this is not just an Arizona problem, it’s a national problem. If our entire southern border is not secure, our nation is not secure. As dangerous transnational criminal organizations continue to capitalize on holes in the border and fill our communities with drugs, it’s no coincidence that we are seeing historic levels of opioid-related deaths,” Ducey said.

Governor Ducey said collaboration among these 26 states will fill the void created by what he considered federal inaction and work to secure the southern border by sharing intelligence, bolstering cybersecurity and enhancing efforts to protect children and families.

The announcement comes at a time when President Joe Biden’s administration is preparing to lift Title 42, which has caused backlash from states where the opposition party governs.

Arizona and Texas are joined by the governors of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Source: MEXICONOW Staff