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Gov. Kim Reynolds deploys more than 100 National Guard troops to southern border [1]

['Robin Opsahl', 'More From Author', '- August']

Date: 2023-08

More than 100 Iowa National Guard soldiers will deploy to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas to support the state’s “Operation Lone Star,” the governor’s office announced Wednesday.

Federal American Rescue Plan funding will pay for the deployment, the governor’s office said. The troops will support “Operation Lone Star,” a joint operation with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department launched by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021 to counter illegal border crossings and the trafficking of illegal substances.

Reynolds first announced her plans to deploy troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in May, in response to the end of Title 42, a pandemic-era measure allowing the U.S. to turn away asylum-seekers at the southern border.

Reynolds said since Biden took office, the country has “experienced a historic rise in illegal immigrants and illicit drugs entering our country.”

“The Biden Administration has failed to respond to the crisis at the border and, in doing so, has failed the American people – Iowans included,” Reynolds said in a statement. “… Since the administration refuses to invest in securing the border and protecting its citizens, Texas has asked other states to help, and Iowa is ready and willing to assist.”

While U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data found border arrests between ports of entry fell between May and June, the Washington Post reported that preliminary data shows arrests surged along the border in July.

In addition to the 109 National Guard members deploying Wednesday, the Iowa Department of Public Safety will deploy Iowa State Patrol officers Aug. 31 to support Texas state troopers with crime prevention and law enforcement, as well as deploying an investigative team to support Texas investigations into narcotics, weapons and human trafficking.

The Guard troops will remain in Texas until Sept. 1, and DPS personnel until Oct. 2.

The deployments will be funded using the federal 2021 American Rescue Plan dollars, the governor’s office announced, stating in an email that states were given flexibility on how to use the funding “provided it supports the provision of government services.”

Reynolds previously sent 28 Iowa State Patrol troopers to assist with Texas border security efforts as a part of “Operation Lone Star” in 2021.

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[1] Url: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/gov-kim-reynolds-deploys-more-than-100-national-guard-troops-to-southern-border/

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