Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has deployed 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to the Southwest border to support Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding border security.
“The crisis at our southern border is unlike anything we’ve witnessed before and has put an enormous strain on the existing resources we have in place,” Abbott said. “With the deployment of these troops, we are taking action to confront the crisis at the border and keep potentially dangerous criminals and illegal activity out of our communities. By working together with our federal partners, we will continue to pursue a strong and comprehensive strategy to secure our border.”
Personnel would provide supplemental staffing support at temporary holding facilities, as well as supplemental enforcement capacity at ports of entry along the border while noting combining state and federal efforts addresses the border humanitarian crisis and increase border security for Texas communities.
“At DHS, we have a long history of working closely with our partners in Texas, united by the common purpose of keeping the United States and its people safe and secure,” Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin K. McAleenan said. “While we are doing everything we can to manage the crisis, the volume of vulnerable populations arriving every day is simply unsustainable. The deployment of Texas National Guard personnel provides critical support to our law enforcement agents at the border at a time of tremendous need.”