Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced on Tuesday that he was sending more National Guard troops to Texas as illegal crossings at the southern border continue at record levels.
Kemp said that he would be sending an additional 15-20 Georgia National Guard troops to help Texas with logistical and mechanical tasks. His announcement comes as Customs and Border Protection announced on Tuesday that they had a total of 176,205 encounters at the southern border in January, a new monthly record.
“After record breaking numbers of illegal crossings at the border and seizures of dangerous drugs, weapons and violent criminals. No one complains there’s not a crisis at our Southern Border. And thanks to the failures of the White House. Now every state in the country is a border state,” Kemp said.
Kemp previously traveled to Texas to support Governor Greg Abbott amid his stand off with President Joe Biden over control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, an area that was once a hot spot for illegal crossings.
“The crisis on the border is a national problem, and it demands a national solution, but if the Biden administration continues to fail the American people, then we have no choice, no choice but to step in,” Kemp added.
While total January encounters were lower than the astounding 301,983 in December, they still were about 20,000 higher than the previous January record and roughly 100,000 more than Biden’s first January in office.
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“As a result of seasonal trends, as well as enhanced enforcement efforts by the men and women of CBP and our international partners, southwest border encounters between ports of entry dropped by 50% in January. We continue to experience serious challenges along our border which surpass the capacity of the immigration system,” CBP official Troy Miller said.
Miller added that CBP had intercepted 34% more fentanyl and 68% more cocaine at the border than in December.
The release of the encounter numbers came just before the House voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas 214-213 over his handling of the border.
“Joe Biden could end the Biden border crisis right now. He has all the authority he needs to reserve his disastrous Far Left open border policies, which have turned every community into a border community and destroyed countless American families — but he refuses,” the House GOP conference said in a statement.