A group of Republican-led states is answering Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R-TX) call for help with guarding the United States’s southern border as the state struggles to curb an immigration crisis.
A total of 13 states have pledged their assistance so far, sending at least 1,305 National Guardsmen and 231 law enforcement personnel to assist with Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
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“President [Joe] Biden has abandoned his constitutional responsibility to secure the border and continues to fail to prevent millions of migrants from illegally crossing into our country,” the governors said in a joint statement on Thursday. “Every state is a border state and Republican governors — together — are stepping up to protect Americans where Biden has failed.”
Here is a closer look at what each of the 13 states are contributing to combating the crisis on the southern border.
1. Arkansas
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) directed approximately 80 Arkansas National Guardsmen to help Texas stem illegal immigration on Thursday. The troops are expected to arrive in Texas next month.
“President Biden’s failure at our southern border puts the entire country at risk. States must now step up where the President has failed to repel illegals, fight the cartels, and stop human and drug trafficking,” Sanders said in a statement. “Arkansans have always been quick to step up when others are in need — this time is no different.”
The troops will help Texas with surveillance and reconnaissance by providing increased detection and tracking capabilities, the governor said.
2. Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced he was directing more than 1,100 assets and resources to the southern border in a statement last month, including 800 National Guardsmen.
“The impacts of Biden’s Border Crisis are felt by communities across the nation, and the federal government’s abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law,” DeSantis said on May 16. “At my direction, state agencies including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats and planes. While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”
Some of the troops DeSantis promised have already arrived in Texas. The troops are currently expected to stay at the border for 30 days, but the deployments can be extended.
3. Idaho
Gov. Brad Little (R-ID) pledged to send a couple of troops from the Idaho State Police to the southern border last month. The troops will help the Texas Department of Public Safety stem the illegal flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
“As we’ve done before, Idaho is responding to the call for help from our neighbors along the border. We used a targeted approach to understand Texas’ needs and wanted to make sure our troopers will bring back what they learn to better protect Idahoans,” Little said in a statement. “The focus of the mission is two-fold — the ISP troopers will serve as a force multiplier for the State of Texas when there is an increased need for law enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border, and our troopers will receive on-the-job training and experience up-to-the-minute enforcement techniques that can be brought back and immediately applied in Idaho.”
The troops are expected to remain in Texas for at least two weeks.
4. Iowa
Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) announced on Tuesday that she was sending approximately 100 Iowa National Guard troops and 30 Department of Public Safety personnel to help with Operation Lone Star.
“The crisis we are experiencing is a direct result of a dereliction of duty by President Biden. The consequences of an open border can be felt across the country as fentanyl and the cartels threaten our communities,” Reynolds said in a statement. “While the White House chooses to do nothing, Republican Governors stand ready to protect our states’ interests.”
The National Guardsmen will be deployed for at least 30 days in August, followed by a 30-day deployment of the DPS personnel in September.
5. Nebraska
Gov. Jim Pillen (R-NE) said 10 Nebraska state troopers have been deployed to Texas, who are trained drone operators.
“Our nation has a serious and unchecked threat on its hands following President Biden’s decision to end Title 42,” Pillen said in a statement last week. “Nebraska is committed to using every tool in its tool box to help stop the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border. Illegal immigration hurts our nation’s security, undermines the rule of law, and threatens the wellbeing of our state.”
The troopers left Nebraska last week and will remain in Texas for a total of two weeks.
6. North Dakota
Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) pledged to send approximately 100 North Dakota National Guard members to Texas on Thursday, authorizing the troops under the governor’s emergency powers.
“The threat to national security grows every day that the Biden administration abdicates the responsibility of the federal government to secure our borders — failing to enforce existing immigration laws and failing to dedicate the resources needed to stop the tide of illegal immigration and drug trafficking that endangers lives in communities across our country,” Burgum said in a statement. “If the White House won’t address this crisis, governors will, and we commend Gov. Abbott for taking the lead in the absence of federal action.”
The troops will arrive in Texas this fall and are currently expected to remain on the border for 30 days.
7. Ohio
Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) is sending 14 Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers to the southern border for two weeks, his office said in a media release Thursday.
The troopers will not be making arrests in Texas, the governor’s office said, according to the Columbus Dispatch. It is not clear when the troops will be sent to the border, but the release said it would occur in the “coming weeks.”
8. Oklahoma
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) said on Thursday that the state would send Oklahoma National Guard troops to the southern border, but it is not clear how many troops will be deployed, when the deployments will take place, or for how long.
“As governor, the decision to deploy members of the National Guard is not one I take lightly and, as the parent of a deployed soldier, I am acutely aware of the sacrifices made by the brave men and women of our National Guard and their families during deployment,” Stitt said. “However, I believe it is in the best interest of Oklahoma and the nation to take decisive action to address the federal government’s utter failure to secure our southern border.”
9. South Carolina
Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) confirmed that his state would send troops to the southern border this summer, but the operation is still in its early planning phases.
“At the request of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, I have directed the deployment of South Carolina National Guard troops to Texas to help hold the line on the Southern border, ” McMaster said in a statement on Wednesday. “The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison.”
State officials are aiming to send the troops out by July 1, but other details, including how many troops are going, will be released in the coming weeks.
10. South Dakota
Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) said at least 50 South Dakota National Guard troops will be deployed to the southern border this summer to help Texas.
“The border crisis is growing worse under President Biden’s willful inaction. Across the country, crime rates, drug overdoses, and human trafficking have all skyrocketed because our border remains a warzone,” Noem said on Thursday. “Our National Guard soldiers are the best prepared to tackle this challenge. They have proven that they can serve with excellence in a situation such as this, and I am confident that they will do so again.”
The timeline and length of the deployment have not been released, but the state is expecting to send the troops later this summer.
11. Tennessee
Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) authorized the deployment of 100 Tennessee National Guard troops to help secure the country’s southern border in a statement last week.
“America continues to face an unprecedented border crisis that threatens our nation’s security and the safety of Tennesseans,” Lee announced. “The federal government owes Americans a plan to secure our country, and in the meantime, states continue to answer this important call to service. I am again authorizing the Tennessee National Guard to help secure the Southern border, and I commend these troops for providing critical support.”
The troops were deployed on the border earlier this week, but it is not clear how long the troops are expected to stay.
12. Virginia
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) said he was sending 100 troops to assist with Texas’s Operation Lone Star in a statement on Wednesday.
“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Youngkin said. “As leadership solutions at the federal level fall short, states are answering the call to secure our southern border, reduce the flow of fentanyl, combat human trafficking, and address the humanitarian crisis.”
The troops will not be involved in law enforcement activities but will help secure the border and reduce the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
13. West Virginia
Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) has authorized up to 50 West Virginia National Guard soldiers and airmen to deploy to Texas for up to 30 days in support of Operation Lone Star.
The troops that have been authorized comprise volunteers and will be deployed on the border in August.
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“I have approved the deployment of members of the West Virginia National Guard to help secure our border, reduce the flood of fentanyl, and combat the human trafficking crisis,” Justice said Wednesday. “I’m very proud to support our friends to the south. I know our National Guard will do incredible work, and we’ll wish them Godspeed to get home safe and sound.”
Mississippi also sent National Guard troops to Texas in a separate action last month to help secure the border.
