(NewsNation) — Gov. Brad Little of Idaho was one of 14 GOP governors who joined Gov. Greg Abbott to make a visit to the border, pledging to deploy troopers from their states to assist Texas.
Abbott vowed he’ll maintain state control over specific border areas and expand efforts to limit illegal crossings, escalating his showdown with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement.
"Fentanyl is running rampant all over the country. And Idaho is no exception. And the other thing is human trafficking," Little said in an interview on "NewsNation Now" breaking down why he visited the border. "The cartels are controlling the border, and not the American government."
This comes as House Republican leadership put out a statement Monday slamming immigration measures included in a $118 billion package senators unveiled Sunday that also includes aid for Israel and Ukraine.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota said they oppose the legislation because “it fails in every policy area needed to secure our border and would actually incentivize more illegal immigration.”
"We desperately need to send a signal to all these people all over the world, particularly in Latin America, that they cannot come here unfettered. They have to go," Little said.
For nearly a month, Texas has restricted the U.S. Border Patrol’s access to an area along the river known as Shelby Park, accusing the Biden administration of not being tough enough on crossings.
Abbott touted the state’s efforts to reinforce border security by installing additional razor wire in Eagle Pass in an attempt to block and deter illegal crossings, particularly in areas like Shelby Park. According to Abbott, illegal crossings in the park have plummeted from thousands per day to merely three per day.
Declines in crossings are part of a complex mix of developments along the U.S.-Mexico border, including heightened enforcement in Mexico. Meanwhile, migrants are moving further down the river and crossing elsewhere.
The record number of border crossings is a political liability for President Joe Biden and an issue that Republicans are eager to put front and center to voters in an election year.
The arrival of GOP governors to Eagle Pass rounds out a weekend that has kept the small border city of roughly 30,000 residents in an unwilling spotlight. Hundreds protesting Biden’s immigration policies held a “Take Back Our Border” rally on the outskirts of the city on Saturday, with vendors selling Donald Trump-inspired MAGA hats and Trump flags.
The number of crossings in Eagle Pass has recently fallen to a few hundred a day. Texas closed access to federal agents at Shelby Park after the number of crossings decreased sharply at the end of December. Mike Banks, who Abbott appointed last year to oversee Texas’ border operations, described the park as a “magnet” for migrants trying to enter the country.
"It never should have got to the point it is today," Little said of the growing crisis at the border.
NewsNation's Jorge Ventura contributed to this report.