Georgia's governor Brian Kemp is intensifying his stance on immigration, ringing alarm bells over what he describes as a nationwide crisis. In an exclusive conversation with FOX 5's Deidra Dukes, Kemp positioned every state as a "border state" amid growing concerns over illegal immigration. "Whether you are Republican or Democrat people are outraged by what's happening at the border," Kemp argued, tying the current situation to an uptick in criminal activities, including drug trafficking and human smuggling.

The governor's remarks came as he highlighted Georgia's own challenges with illegal immigration and its consequences for the state's safety and economy. Kemp is pushing for wider border security measures, and he asserts, without equivocation, that this isn't restricted to states that physically touch the country's southern fringe. According to a FOX 5 interview, Kemp says, "We are dealing with the effects of illegal immigration and not stemming the tide and securing the border in every state, whether it's fentanyl, methamphetamine, human trafficking, the number of people coming over that cities around the country are dealing with."

Kemp's views resonate with a broader Republican sentiment, highlighting opposition to the current administration's immigration policies. In a strikingly forthright claim, Kemp told WSAV that the Biden administration's "failed policies" are to blame for an escalated crisis at the border. Kemp argues that former President Trump's security measures were dismantled, paving the way for the current situation.

Bolstering Georgia's defense, Kemp is deploying additional National Guard troops, with intentions to collaborate with the president to address the underlying concerns. Kemp claims illegal immigration is bleeding Georgia financially, costing taxpayers upwards of $2 billion due to increased drug activity, healthcare usage, and stress on resources like the foster care system. As Kemp told WSAV, "The number of unaccompanied minors that are coming in, and what that is going to do to our foster care system, our social services network, You can imagine how that will be in other parts of the state."

Echoing Kemp's dread of the immigration impasse, Speaker of the House Jon Burns joined the clarion call, signaling that illegal immigration effects are bipartisan issues with far-reaching implications, even stretching into states far removed from the border like Georgia. Kemp's actions underscore his belief that the response to immigration should be a collaborative endeavor across states and party lines, emphasizing the urgency for federal action to seal off the southern border and curtail illegal crossings once and for all.