Following a briefing from Texas Governor Greg Abbott, two more Republican governors ordered National Guard troops to the border to provide support.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster both announced troop deployments at Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request.
In March, Abbott asked other Republican governors to use an Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which allows states to share resources in times of crisis, to send troops to help at the southern border.
He met again with Youngkin and McMaster last week to reinforce the need for assistance.
Virginia Governor Faces Backlash
As a result, Youngkin announced he signed an executive directive to send 100 National Guard groups to Texas.
“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Youngkin said. “As leadership solutions at the federal level fall short, states are answering the call to secure our southern border, reduce the flow of fentanyl, combat human trafficking and address the humanitarian crisis.”
The chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia quickly issued a statement criticizing Youngkin’s decision.
“In his obsessive quest to tee himself up for a presidential campaign, Youngkin is continuing to ignore the basic needs of Virginians to bolster his standing with the MAGA base,” Susan Swecker wrote.
South Carolina Chips In
McMaster said the deployment of troops is necessary for the “safety and security of South Carolinians.”
“At the request of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, I have directed the deployment of South Carolina National Guard troops to Texas to help hold the line on the Southern border,” McMaster said. “The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison.”
He will finalize the number of troops in the coming weeks with the intent to deploy before July 1st.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent over 1,000 troops to Texas in the weeks before his 2024 presidential campaign announcement. Along with Abbott, he has been a vocal critic of the way President Joe Biden’s administration has handled immigration.
