Since the federal government continues to put the country and the states in a tough spot by not securing our border with Mexico, it has forced governors to take action, specifically involving the tens of thousands of children and young adults from countries south of Mexico traversing Mexico and entering the U.S.

For example, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is calling out his National Guard to assist in policing the border in an effort to stem the tide of illegals coming north.

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, in an effort to be proactive on the issue, has sent a letter to the feds saying Idaho should not be considered a “staging area” for housing the illegals.
Not unexpectedly, his Democrat challenger in the fall, A.J. Balukoff, called it a “political ploy.” What isn’t in a political year? But Otter is dead right on this one.

Of course, the fed mess is heartbreaking from a humanitarian perspective. But as tough as it is, the flow north cannot remain unchecked. Not fair to the nation’s taxpayers and certainly not fair to the states who are being asked to pay for something they did not bring upon themselves. It is the ultimate unfunded mandate from the feds.

And it needs to stop. Perry and Otter are forced to fill a vacuum created by a president more interested in fundraising than governing.