Texas Gov. Rick Perry responded to harsh criticism from Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in a letter on Wednesday, inviting him to come to Texas to see the professionalism of the National Guard troops now stationed at the Texas border.
Last week, in an interview in El Universal, Mr. Peña Nieto called the increased law enforcement presence at the border “reprehensible, and said Mr. Perry’s decision was an “attack on good relations and neighborliness.”
In the letter, Mr. Perry defended his decision to deploy the national guard to the Texas border, saying he did so for the safety of the young children and families along the border.
“Those obeying our laws have nothing to fear from our increased law enforcement presence. In fact, I would like to invite you to visit my state to see firsthand the professionalism of our National Guard soldiers and their law enforcement partners as they work to secure the border,” Mr. Perry wrote.
Mr. Perry, a former GOP presidential candidate who is considering another run in 2016, took Mr. Peña Nieto to task, saying that Mexico was also to blame for the crisis at the border.
“Our challenges today are partly a consequence of the failure of the Mexican government to secure its southern border from illegal immigration by unaccompanied children and other individuals from Central America, or to deploy adequate resources to control the criminal element in Mexico,” Mr. Perry wrote, urging Mr. Peña Nieto to take the necessary steps to secure Mexico’s southern border.
In his letter Mr. Perry also praised Mr. Peña Nieto for overseeing “remarkable” economic and education reform and touted the cooperative trade and shared heritage between the U.S. and Mexico.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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