Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson is in the Rio Grande Valley getting a look at the situation at the southern border. Governor Abbott is holding a conference with other governors in Mission, Texas to discuss the Biden border crisis. Hutchinson is usually a quiet kind of guy, not known to quickly criticize other politicians, yet he slammed the Biden administration for its creation of the crisis.

After a night tour of the Rio Grande River area in Mission, Hutchinson was asked by Fox reporter Bill Melugin about Biden’s response to the crisis on the southern border. Hutchinson said, “This administration did not step up and respond in an appropriate way. They changed the policy from what it was in the Trump administration and that opened the door.” Hutchinson, not exactly an ardent Trump supporter, pointed out that the Trump policies worked to keep the southern border under control. By eliminating Trump’s successful policies for border control, Biden did, in fact, open the door to the floods of illegal aliens we now see crossing into the U.S. with impunity. It isn’t just poor people seeking jobs and a better life. It is also drug cartels and human traffickers who are using illegal aliens as mules to transport illegal drug contraband and to entrap human beings into slavery. It is a humanitarian crisis.

It is good to have Melugin back in the Rio Grande Valley reporting on the border because so few reporters from other outlets show any interest in covering it at all. Most don’t want to expose Biden’s disastrous policies at work and his callous disregard to what is happening.

Thread: We encountered dozens of illegal immigrants hiding in the brush last night in one small area. Extremely busy/active night in the La Joya/Penitas area in RGV. https://t.co/H98Rq1wBAc

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) October 4, 2021

NEW: We are at a Burger King parking lot in Hidalgo, TX where illegal immigrants are being pulled out of the storm drainage system by Border Patrol. Two have been pulled out, others are still down there. Drugs also pulled out. Specialized agents harnessing up to go in. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/8HQ43liriQ

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) October 4, 2021

Shots were fired at one point during Melugin’s reporting and he and the cameraman were advised to move.

Someone shot what sounded to be several small caliber rounds in our vicinity as we were setting up to go live for @BretBaier at the border wall in La Joya, TX. We were only rolling on the last gunshot. Border Patrol has advised us to leave the area, which we are. Unknown source. pic.twitter.com/0KzG57mq8w

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) October 4, 2021

.@BillFOXLA Live at the southern border. He says there’s so many adult men sneaking across the border they literally had a watch where they was walking. pic.twitter.com/EoLxCtLhSq

— The Dirty Truth (Josh) (@AKA_RealDirty) October 5, 2021

Late night patrolling on the Rio Grande with @TxDPS in Mission, TX. Eerily quiet, serene, and gorgeous. pic.twitter.com/rIEA1AgR5P

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) October 5, 2021

Abbott is joined this week by Governors Ducey (Arizona), Kemp (Georgia), Little (Idaho), Reynolds (Iowa), Gianforte (Montana), Ricketts (Nebraska), DeWine (Ohio), Stitt (Oklahoma), Noem (South Dakota) and Gordon (Wyoming). National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, and Texas Military Department Brigadier General Monie R. Ulis will also be in attendance.

Hutchinson’s trip was in support of Arkansas National Guard troops providing assistance in border security. He doesn’t plan to extend their deployment after the 90-day assignment is up, at least not now. If Governor Abbott asks for help again, Hutchinson is open to that request. His spokeswoman noted Hutchinson’s past service in the Department of Homeland Security.

“The governor will also meet with the Texas Department of Public Safety for a briefing on Operation Lone Star,” she said in an email. “After the briefing the governor will participate in a border tour with the Marine Patrol Unit of the TXDPS.”

Hutchinson in July authorized a 90-day deployment of up to 40 Guard members to the border. The Guard unit is a vehicle-maintenance crew that was deployed to Welasco, Texas to maintain vehicles used by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Sowers said Hutchinson is not considering extending the order to keep or send more troops to the Texas border at this time.

“If Governor (Greg) Abbott requests help down the road that request will be evaluated at that time,” she said.

Hutchinson will also meet with the U.S. Border Patrol/U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday morning.

“The Border Patrol along with CBP were agencies under the direction of then Under Secretary Hutchinson during his service at the Department of Homeland Security,” Sowers said.

On Wednesday, Abbott and the other governors are scheduled to appear at a news conference at the Texas-Mexico border in Mission. Mission, Texas is north of Reynosa, Mexico, in Hidalgo County. The surge of illegal aliens crossing the Rio Grande River continues. Abbott is coordinating resources to address the reports of a new wave of caravans approaching the Texas border.

Texas National Guard is gearing up at the border for increased caravans attempting to cross the border caused by Biden’s open border policy.

They are working with the Texas Dept. of Public Safety to seal surge locations at the border & arrest trespassers.

⁦@TexasGuard⁩ pic.twitter.com/VAKGoHak0G

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 2, 2021

Abbott is appealing a denial by the Biden administration to issue an emergency declaration. The governor requested “federal assistance to respond to the thousands of illegal crossings along the border.” Further proof that Team Biden isn’t concerned about border security and is willing to force Texas to go it alone. Remember that the next time Biden or DHS Secretary Mayorkas is on television criticizing Abbott for doing what he can to secure the state’s southern border.

Where’s Kamala? I’m sure Abbott would be happy to arrange a tour of a Rio Grande River crossing spot used for illegal migration.

Meanwhile, arrests continue today.

We stopped at a McDonald’s for a quick break in La Joya, and right next door a human smuggler was just pulled over and is being arrested for smuggling a group of illegal immigrants. We see this several times every single day. So common we don’t really even video it anymore. pic.twitter.com/4Hepvn3ApP

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) October 5, 2021