July 9, 2021 |
Wyoming National Guard troops may be headed to the nation’s southern border with Mexico. Governor Mark Gordon said he is considering how to respond to an “urgent” request from Texas Governor Gregg Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey asking for help in dealing with the border crisis.
Abbott and Ducey, in a letter to the nations other governors dated June 10, wrote that while securing the national border is a federal responsibility, “the Biden Administration has been unwilling or unable to do the job.” They cautioned that the failed federal response could impact every state, not just the ones on the border.
Independent reporting over the past several months has documented that the Biden Administration is flying illegal immigrants to interior states without the permission of local authorities.
The governors’ letter states that 284 pounds of fentanyl, enough for tens of millions of lethal doses, destined for American cities has been intercepted in Arizona.
Governors Abbot and Ducey said that the illegal border crossings pose threats to private property and to the safety of American citizens.
As a result, the State of Texas has declared a disaster. Arizona has declared an emergency. In their appeal to other governors, the Abbott and Ducey said “additional manpower is needed from any state that can spare it.”
Governor Krisi Noem of South Dakota was the first chief executive of another state to respond with help. Noem announced in late June that she would deploy 50 National Guardsman to the border. Governor Noem doubled down on her offer this week, announcing that she will send an additional 125 troops.
The White House derided the deployment of National Guard troops from South Dakota “a political gesture.” Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, responding to a reporter, added that Americans support what she described as Joe Biden’s “progress at establishing a well-managed” border.
Governor’s Abbot and Ducey described the situation at the border as anything but well managed or secure. In their letter of appeal, they wrote, “On behalf of Texas and Arizona, we respectfully and urgently request that you send all available law-enforcement resources to the border in defense of our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
American voters don’t think the border is well-managed, either. A Washington Post/ABC News Poll released July 4th reports only 33 percent of voters think Biden’s immigration policies have been successful.
Alarm is growing along the border. On Thursday, in a first-of-its kind legal action, local sheriffs in Texas teamed up with federal ICE officers to sue Joe Biden and the Department of Homeland Security. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Galveston. It claims that the Biden Administration has willfully violated three federal laws that require certain illegal aliens to be detained and removed from the United States. The sheriffs and ICE officers are seeking a nationwide injunction that would allow them to remove criminal illegal aliens and not release them into the general public, as is happening under the Biden Administration.
Here at home, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, in a statement Wednesday, said, “It is absolutely essential that our nation’s borders are secure.” Gordon said the uncontrolled border crossings threaten every state, including Wyoming.
How many Wyoming troops and what their mission will be has not been defined yet. The Governor’s statement said that Air National Guard troops have been offered, but that might not match the need at this time. Governor Gordon said he is still exploring options.
Deploying Wyoming troops to the border is not popular with everybody. Representative Mike Yin, a Teton County Democrat who sits on the House Revenue Committee, questioned spending any money for the border at a time of budget cuts at home. The governor’s office has said the state has the resources to help Texas and Arizona, but what the funding mechanism will be remains unclear. South Dakota’s deployment is receiving private support from a wealthy donor.
Pictured above: File photo of U.S.-Mexican border.
