Every State is a Border State: Legislators Share Experience from the Southern Border

Denver, CO – “Every state is a border state.”

That was the message Texas State Senator Phil King and a delegation of legislators shared at the 51st ALEC Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. Taking the lessons they learned following a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this year, each confirmed that every state, whether geographically near or far from the southern border, is feeling the impact of unchecked immigration and human trafficking.

King, who has watched as Texas takes on the brunt of the border crisis, outlined a staggering one million illegal border crossing arrests during each of the last four years. Some estimates put the number closer to 11 million – most undetected.

“That’s twice the population of Colorado,” King remarked, underlining the gravity of the situation.

The Costs of Open Borders

Florida State Representative Demi Busatta focused on the human costs.

“The suffering we see from human trafficking and the rise in drug-related crimes is real and tragic,” she said.

“This isn’t just a Texas problem—this is impacting the entire country. We have an international crisis driven by well-funded criminal organizations, and states are having to step in where the federal government has left a vacuum.”

Michigan State Representative Matt Hall and ALEC National Chair, Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson also took part in the panel. Leader Hall was struck by the contrast between the last two administrations’ approach.

“When President Trump was in office, border crossings were down. After President Biden came in, they surged.” The Biden administration’s approach, he argued, means most migrants disappear into the country with little to no accountability.

The problem isn’t about race or ethnicity, it’s about the increase in crime and the alarming trend of military-age men from China and Russia crossing the southern border. Estimates for those particular groups reach into the thousands.

“You don’t have to be an intelligence expert to realize what that might lead to,” King said.

Differing Approaches to the Border Crisis

Despite the enormity of the issue, Texas has largely been left to fend for itself. The Lone Star State spent more than $3 billion on border security in 2024 alone, deploying thousands of Texas Department of Public Safety officers, building new border barriers, and using high-tech monitoring equipment like drones and cameras. Florida has joined other states in providing additional support by way of sending state guards and law enforcement officers to assist.

Masterson, whose state of Kansas contributed $15 million to send National Guard troops to Texas, expressed frustration with the federal government’s response.

“Texas is spending billions to protect us. All we could muster was $15 million, and even that required overriding a veto from our governor,” Masterson said.

The situation, he added, illustrates the deep divide between states that want to address the crisis and a federal government that appears unwilling to act.

For many lawmakers, the situation is untenable. They believe the lack of coordination between federal and state efforts exacerbates the problem. In areas where Texas took control of border crossings, illegal crossings are down 95 percent. However, just a few miles down the border, federal land remains wide open and unguarded.

“The difference in how the state and federal authorities handle the border is staggering,” Masterson said.

Hall shared a similar sentiment.

“Governor Whitmer listened, but her solution was to wait for Biden or Harris to ask us to send the National Guard,” Hall said.

The human toll of the border crisis is undeniable. Stories of human trafficking, drug smuggling, and violence are far too common. Texas alone has seized more than 500 million lethal doses of fentanyl at the border. Meanwhile, in Dallas, illegal immigrants have been charged with the sexual assault of minors.

“We’re seeing the impacts ripple through our states in real time,” Busatta said. “If the federal government continues to ignore this issue, it will only get worse.”

Their trip to the border ended with a sense of urgency. Each departed with the united belief that the federal government’s failure to act has placed an unsustainable burden upon the states. Every state is now truly a border state. And until the federal government steps up, the crisis will only deepen.