Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has called for increased border security along the United States’s Southern border, noting that the illegal immigration has caused a crisis across the nation.
The issues of illegal immigration, as well as border security, have been a major talking point of Republican politicians, with Youngkin talking about the issue ahead of Virginia’s 2023 state elections next month. Youngkin noted that the state of Virginia has a population of 8.7 million people and that almost the same amount of illegal immigrants have made their way into the U.S., which Youngkin called “unbelievable.”
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“And this chaos that has not only created a humanitarian crisis is creating a national security crisis and a drug crisis, and we’ve seen the cartels press into all of the states, so now every state is a border state,” Youngkin said.
The Virginia governor noted that the drug crisis facing the nation has impacted his state, saying that five state residents, on average, die from fentanyl overdoses every day. He insisted on securing the border so as to “stop the flow of illegal drugs” from coming across the border.
“And we see it every day in the commonwealth,” Youngkin said. “Our law enforcement agencies are working hard in order to combat this. But let me tell you, violent crime is a real challenge because of gangs and drugs, and this all starts at the border.”
Virginia is one of 14 states with Republican governors who are working with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to help secure the border between the state and Mexico. Abbott has claimed that President Joe Biden is “not doing his job” and is responsible for “the largest amount of illegal immigration” in U.S. history.
Youngkin, who won Virginia’s 2021 gubernatorial election in an upset victory, is working to help flip the state’s Senate Republican and keep the state House of Delegates Republican. The Republican Party holds a narrow 48-46 majority in the House, while the Democrats hold a 22-18 majority in the state Senate.
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Former President Donald Trump, who is running for president again in 2024, recently told his supporters that they “don’t have to vote” and encouraged them to “watch” other voters to prevent fraud. Youngkin has rebuffed Trump’s suggestion, telling voters that “every single vote matters.”
“I’ve been encouraging everybody — get out and vote,” Youngkin said. “I think it’s a key component to us winning. Listen, these are tight races. Every single vote matters. And it’s the people that show up and vote. They’re going to decide the election. I want to get them all voting.”
