A coalition of nine Democratic governors have united to demand President Joe Biden and Congress give them more federal resources to help with the immigration crises in each of their states.

The governors, led by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY), urged Washington to pass a legislative package that would include funds for their states, along with a deal that would tighten border security. 

“While political motivations continue to delay the negotiations, our economy, states and localities are bearing the brunt of the shortcomings of the existing immigration system,” the governors wrote in a letter on Monday. “Therefore, as you return to Washington to resume work on critical federal funding measures, we strongly urge Congress and the Administration to quickly negotiate an agreement on a border security legislative package.”

The letter comes as the United States witnesses record-high immigration and as the world sees historic immigration caused by various global crises. 

The governors also expressed support for the president’s initial supplemental funding request, which included $1.4 billion for the states and $4.4 billion for a “robust federal migration strategy.” 

“Those funds would provide support to federal agencies for additional personnel to increase border security, add staff to accelerate processing times and eligibility determinations, and increase removal proceedings for those ineligible to stay in the United States,” the governors wrote. “We believe the President’s supplemental request provides a minimum level of funding and actions that will allow the United States to begin transformational reforms to its immigration system and uphold the principles of democracy that America was built upon.”

The letter was signed by Hochul and governors from Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New Mexico. 

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New York has seen the highest influx of immigrants among nonborder states, with more than 150,000 immigrants seeking asylum since the spring of 2022.

Border states such as Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas are seeing the highest surge of immigrants, but many leave soon after arrival in those states. California has helped 472,000 immigrants between April 2021 and September 2023, including 98,000 who arrived after the end of Title 42 last May, according to CalMatters.