Immigration

Two dozen states sending National Guard troops to U.S.-Mexico border

Published

6 months ago

October 6, 2022

“The border is secure” says Vice President Kamala Harris; yet almost two dozen states are sending up to 2,500 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. The assistance is aimed at helping federal immigration officials handle the border crisis.

“Groups that support tougher immigration restrictions say the deployment of the National Guard troops will help overburdened federal agencies deal with the surge of illegal immigration”, reports the Center Square.

The deployments were requested by the U.S. Department of Defense and Republican-led states like Kentucky, South Carolina and Arkansas, as well as Democratic-led states such as Rhode Island and Illinois will all be sending assistance. Other states sending troops include Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, DOD officials said.

“Several other states – Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Washington – will be providing National Guard aviation support for border operations, according to the department.”

“The U.S. Virgin Islands has also committed National Guard troops to the mission, which is being overseen by the U.S. Northern Command.”

The Center Square reports:

The troops were requested by DOD to assist U.S. Border Patrol in dealing with a surge of illegal trafficking of people, weapons and drugs into the country. The troops will work only in support missions, a Defense Department spokesman said, and are prohibited under federal law from detaining undocumented migrants or others caught crossing into the United States illegally…

…The U.S. Border Patrol has apprehended migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border more than 1.8 million times since October, breaking previous records, according to the agency. The Center Square, through its sources, reported in August the number of illegal entries is nearly 5 million since Biden began to occupy the White House in January 2020.

Immigration

Nearly 300 suspected terrorists apprehended at U.S. border in 2023 alone

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2023

Sara Carter Staff

The border crisis in the United States is not simply about allowing individuals to enter the country illegally; it’s about national security and terrorism. In 2023 alone, roughly 300 suspected terrorists have been apprehended attempting to cross the border, according to newly reported Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) data. That terrifying number is of apprehensions, meaning an unknown number of terrorists may have been successful in evading border patrol.

28 members of Congress have recently formed an entirely new caucus in order to address the increasing crisis at the northern border, “where record numbers of foreign nationals continue to illegally enter from Canada” reports The Center Square.

The Northern Border Security Caucus, formed by Republican Representatives Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, and Ryan Zinke of Montana. The congressmen have expressed substantial concerns about “the increased human and drug trafficking, along with the decrease in Border Patrol agents and lack of security, along the U.S.-Canada border.”

In a letter sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, caucus members said the “surges in border encounters and drug smuggling coupled with the shortage of Border Patrol agents and lack of security measures place America’s northern border at serious risk.”

The letter also noted the record numbers of illegal entries along the northern border, including record apprehensions in Vermont and upstate New York. Additionally, reported deaths have been on the rise in northwest Minnesota.

Calling on Mayorkas to secure the border, the caucus warns that Border Patrol staffing at the northern border has remained flat since fiscal 2009, hovering around 2,000 agents tasked with patrolling some of the most difficult terrain. Despite being short-staffed, they recorded a 596% increase in drug seizures in fiscal 2022 from fiscal 2021. Since January 2021, they’re apprehensions have increased by a record 1,498%, the caucus says.