Arkansas becomes latest state to send troops to southern border amid migrant surge
Arizona and Texas have called for help from other states so they can tackle the border crisis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday that his state would become the latest to send National Guard troops to the southern border -- after an appeal for help in dealing with the border crisis from Arizona and Texas.
Hutchinson announced a 90-day deployment of up to 40 members of the state’s National Guard to Texas to help with security at the border.
SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM SENDS 50 NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO TEXAS TO HELP TACKLE BORDER CRISIS
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge put blame on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for failing to the secure the border in a tweet, saying that the troops would help "fill the gap" at the border and stop the flow of human trafficking and drugs into the U.S.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Amid a massive spike in encounters at the border, both Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issued a call to other states earlier this month for help to stem the crisis at the border.
"On behalf of Texas and Arizona, we respectfully but urgently request that you send all available law-enforcement resources to the border in defense of our sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Republican governors wrote in a letter to their counterparts.
"This failure to enforce federal immigration laws causes banns that spill over into every state. The cartels will see to it that their deadly fentanyl and human-trafficking victims reach far and wide," the letter said. "The convicted criminals they smuggle into the homeland will bring recidivism with them to far too many of your communities."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Tuesday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem announced that her state is sending 50 South Dakota National Guard troops to Texas to secure the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Her office said the deployment will last for between 30 and 60 days, and that it will be paid for via a private donation.
TEXAS, ARIZONA GOVS CALLING FOR STATES TO SEND POLICE TO THE BORDER TO HELP DEAL WITH BORDER CRISIS
"The Biden administration has failed in the most basic duty of the federal government: keeping the American people safe," Noem said in a statement announcing the deployment. "The border is a national security crisis that requires the kind of sustained response only the National Guard can provide."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this month that his state would send 50 law enforcement officers to help tackle the surge.
FLORIDA GOV. DESANTIS SENDING LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO AID TEXAS, ARIZONA WITH BORDER CRISIS
In a press conference, DeSantis said that mission funding was still a "point of discussion."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Typically, if someone would help us, you know, we would pick up some of their funding and so that is how we would hope that it goes," the governor said. "But we do not anticipate getting any federal funds."
Meanwhile, Texas has also announced that it is working on building its own wall at the southern border after the Biden administration halted construction of the wall that started during the Trump administration.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Both Texas and Arizona have also launched multiple lawsuits against the administration’s border policies -- claiming they have fueled the surge and harmed border states.