GOP governors join Cox in vow to help Trump's mass deportation

• With 26 governors vowing to help, Trump has the cooperation of a majority of U.S. states — including those with some of the largest populations of undocumented people.

Driving the news: A letter Wednesday from the Republican Governor's Association said, "We stand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal" and "we will do everything in our power to assist in removing them from our communities."

• The joint statement clarifies the "them" as "illegal immigrants who pose a threat to our communities and national security" and "dangerous criminals, gang members and terrorists."

Reality check: These mass deportations will likely face several procedural roadblocks, and the estimated $150 billion to $350 billion price tag to execute them is steep.

Catch up quick: Cox last month vowed a "targeted effort" by Utah's public safety and corrections departments to identify and deport undocumented immigrants "who have committed crimes and pose a threat to public safety."

The other side: The ACLU of Utah warned that Cox's promise could be used by local law enforcement agencies as an excuse to profile people of color or those who don't speak English.

The latest: Wednesday's letter, which Cox signed, also offers states' National Guard units in the deportation efforts.

Flashback: Cox in February deployed five Utah National Guard soldiers to the southern border for two weeks to maintain military equipment as GOP governors sent troops to Texas.

• He also sent five Utah Highway Patrol drug investigators to the border for a month.
• The deployments were estimated to cost a combined $150,000 in taxpayer funding pulled from the governor's emergency fund.