The Governors of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico are already stating support for sending their states’ National Guard to the border, to support the Trump administration’s order calling for the immediate deployment of the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border to combat “a drastic surge of illegal activity.” According to a Fox News article,
Governors of several states have voiced support for President Donald Trump’s decision Wednesday to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, paving the way for the White House to implement its latest anti-illegal immigration policy.
The Republican governors of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico — three states that border Mexico — backed the president’s move, which officials said could lead to troops on the ground as early as Wednesday night.
Arizona “welcomes the deployment of National Guard to the border,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Trump’s action “reinforces Texas’ longstanding commitment to secure our southern border.”
In New Mexico, Gov. Susana Martinez said she appreciates the White House efforts to involve states in the policy-making.
Even California Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who has openly sparred with the White House over his state’s pro-illegal immigration policies, signaled that his administration might cooperate.
“This request – as with others we’ve received from the Department of Homeland Security, including those for additional staffing in 2006 and 2010 – will be promptly reviewed to determine how best we can assist our federal partners,” California National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Tom Keegan said in a statement issued on behalf of Brown’s office. “We look forward to more detail, including funding, duration and end state.”
That takes care of 3 of the 4 border states along the US/Mexico border… so what will California’s Governor Jerry Brown do? Personally, I think it’s a good sign that the California National Guard spokesman made a reference to the states National Guard’s previous deployments in 2006 (under G.W. Bush) and again in 2010 (under Obama.) However, ultimately it is a decision for the Governor.
This morning, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen talked to “Fox and Friends” and stated that she would be talking to ALL the Governors again today. She also said that she’s spoken with California Gov. Jerry Brown, whose state’s designation as a sanctuary state has caused a great deal of controversy.
“We sent him information with respect to our best advice how we could use the guard to support our mission,” said Nielsen. “Men and women on the front lines if you will, whether they be state employees or federal employees are usually have much better grasp what we need.”
Brown has supported such use of the National Guard to support the Border Patrol in the past, she said, but she wants to have more conversations with him before she jumps ahead of him on the issue.
Yesterday, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen spoke at the White House Press Briefing, and talked about the National Guard helping out our Border Patrol agents in great detail.
Ginger’s Newsroom 