Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced on Tuesday that 200 of the state's National Guard soldiers, along with 22 of its Highway Patrol troopers, will be sent to Texas to help secure the southern border.
They will join Operation Lone Star, the border control effort being led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a fellow Republican, with $2.3 million being requested from the Missouri General Assembly to fund the mission.
The Context
Tensions over the southern border soared in January when the Supreme Court ruled federal agents could remove razor wire placed along the Texas-Mexico border on Abbott's orders. This sparked a furious response from the Texas governor who released a statement claiming his state was being subject to an "invasion" and invoked its "constitutional authority to defend and protect itself" under Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 of the Constitution.
Donald Trump, by some margin favorite for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, urged Republican governors to send National Guard troops to Texas in support of Abbott's efforts. Several have already announced or indicated they could send contingents.
What We Know
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Parson said: "About two weeks ago, I visited the Southern Border, and let me not mince words when I say it is a crisis.
"The crisis at the Southern Border is fueling the fentanyl crisis here in our state. Missourians are dying, families are being ripped apart, communities are being destroyed, and Missouri children are falling victim. It all stems from the Biden administration's reckless, irresponsible, and failing open-border policies. With our southern border wide open, every state is now a border state.
"President Biden and the federal government must step up to stop illegal entry into our nation, to stop the free flow of fentanyl into our communities, and combat the rise of human trafficking, but we've waited long enough. Missouri will act by deploying our own resources to secure our nation's border."
A press release from the governor's office said it had requested $2.3 million from the Missouri General Assembly "to support border security efforts and backfill the Governor's Office's emergency response fund."
Missouri Highway Patrol (MSHP) troopers are due to begin active deployment on March 9, followed by the state's National Guard (MONG) soldiers nine days later.
The release added: "MONG and MSHP personnel will be working to help secure the border, prevent illegal immigration, and stop illicit drug and human trafficking.
"MONG members will mainly assist in the construction of physical barriers and with security patrols as needed. MSHP troopers will work to support traffic enforcement, crime prevention, criminal interdiction, and other law enforcement agencies as needed."
What's Next?
Illegal immigration over the southern border has become a hot-button political issue and is one of the main subjects Trump has been basing his 2024 presidential campaign around.
A Pew Research Center poll of 5,140 American adults conducted between January 16 and 21 found that 73 percent of Democratic-supporting or -leaning voters believe the Biden administration is doing a poor job of securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
In January, 124,220 people were arrested on suspicion of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexican border, a sharp fall on the 249,000 recorded the previous month.
Update 2/21/24, 10:34 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
