Rick Perry Seeks Meeting With Obama on Border Crisis

Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry says he would like to meet with President Barack Obama during his visit to the state this week to discuss what to do about the thousands of children illegally arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, The Hill reported.

The White House has invited Perry to greet the president on Air Force One.

"I appreciate the offer to greet you at Austin-Bergstrom Airport, but a quick handshake on the tarmac will not allow for a thoughtful discussion regarding the humanitarian and national security crises enveloping the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas," Perry wrote in a letter made public on Monday. "I would instead offer to meet with you at any time during your visit to Texas for a substantive meeting to discuss this critical issue."

Obama is in Texas for Democratic fundraising events in Dallas on Wednesday and Austin on Thursday.

Perry, who commands the Texas National Guard, said he wants to assign 1,000 of its members to the Texas-Mexico border. Democrats counter that since the illegals are not trying to evade capture, having more troops will not deter their arrival, according to Reuters.

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