(PatriotWise.com) — Governor Sarah Sanders’s office announced on Tuesday that the Arkansas National Guard would be sending about 40 guardsmen to support efforts at the southern border starting on April 1, the Associated Press reported.
According to a press release from the governor’s office, while the Texas National Guard would remain the lead agency, the Arkansas Guardsmen would remain under the control of Governor Sanders.
The deployment would last from April 1 until May 30.
Sanders said in the press release that President Biden’s open border policy had led to “an invasion of illegal immigrants, drugs, and human trafficking.” She blasted the president for criticizing Texas’ efforts to step in “where his administration has failed.”
The governor said the Arkansas National Guard would help to “supplement” the efforts in Texas to secure the border and keep the country safe.
Arkansas’ Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs said the Arkansas National Guard assisted Texas in 2023 as it had done under previous presidential administrations and was “prepared and ready” to once again assist operations by the Texas National Guard.
Governor Sanders visited the southern border along with 14 other Republican governors last month to show their support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star efforts to block illegal immigration.
The Arkansas National Guard will assist the Texas Guard with surveillance and reconnaissance, providing increased tracking and detection capabilities, according to the press release.
Illegal immigration and Biden’s open border policies have become key issues in the 2024 presidential race.
A February Gallup poll found that immigration was the number one issue for voters ahead of the 2024 election, with 28 percent saying it was the most pressing issue in the country today.
Governor Sanders is one of more than a dozen Republican governors who have deployed National Guardsmen to the southern border since Biden took office.
Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced he would be sending hundreds of additional Florida Guardsmen to the border to assist Texas’ Operation Lone Star.
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