TEXAS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, along with 25 other Republican governors, on Tuesday announced the creation of the American Governors’ Border Strike Force.

What You Need To Know

  • Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, along with 25 other Republican governors, on Tuesday announced the creation of the American Governors’ Border Strike Force

  • According to a news release, the strike force is designed to “disrupt and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations taking advantage of the open border with Mexico”

  • The announcement comes as the Biden administration prepares to end the Trump-era Title 42 public health policy. The policy limits the number of asylum seekers permitted into the country

  • Appearing on Fox News to discuss the initiative Tuesday, Gov. Abbott again said the Biden administration is ignoring the border and jeopardizing national security

According to a news release, the partnership is designed to “disrupt and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations taking advantage of the open border with Mexico.”

The news release further states the group will target “cartels and criminal organizations operationally and financially by increasing collaboration, improving intelligence, investing in analysis, combating human smuggling, and stopping drug flow among each of the participating states.”

The announcement comes as the Biden administration prepares to end the Title 42 border policy. The Trump-era policy, formally known as the Title 42 authority, limits the number of asylum seekers permitted into the country in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. It is slated to end in May.

“President Joe Biden’s immigration policies and the lack of adequate federal resources have caused an unprecedented increase in criminal operations along the southern border and in communities across the country. Every state is a border state dealing with the impacts of illegal immigration,” a news release from Idaho Gov. Brad Little reads.

Migrant crossings are up at the U.S.-Mexico border. According to an April 19 report from the Associated Press, migrants attempted to cross the border at the highest level in two decades.

Immigration authorities stopped migrants 221,303 times along the Southwest border in March, a 33% increase from a month earlier, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data released Monday.

The number of migrant encounters has gone up nearly every month since President Joe Biden took office, becoming fodder for political opponents who point to the increase as evidence that this administration is weaker on border security than its predecessor.

Appearing on Fox News Tuesday, Gov. Abbott said, “Border security has always been a federal government responsibility—until the Biden administration. The Biden administration has abandoned its responsibility to secure the border. Even more dangerous, the Biden administration has abandoned its responsibility for national security because they’re been almost two dozen people during the term of the Biden administration who are known as being on the terrorist watch list who have been apprehended coming across the United States border.”

According to Little, the complete list of participating governors is:

Brad Little (ID), Governors Doug Ducey (AZ), Greg Abbott (TX), Kay Ivey (AL), Mike Dunleavy (AK), Asa Hutchinson (AR), Ron DeSantis (FL), Brian Kemp (GA), Eric Holcomb (IN), Kim Reynolds (IA), Larry Hogan (MD), Tate Reeves (MS), Mike Parson (MO), Greg Gianforte (MT), Pete Ricketts (NE), Chris Sununu (NH), Doug Burgum (ND), Mike DeWine (OH), Kevin Stitt (OK), Henry McMaster (SC), Kristi Noem (SD), Bill Lee (TN), Spencer Cox (UT), Glenn Youngkin (VA), Jim Justice (WV), and Mark Gordon (WY).