Friday, October 11, 2024

South Dakota Governor Sending More Troops to the U.S.- Mexico Border

South Dakota Governor announced that they will be sending 75 more members of its National Guard to the U.S. and Mexico border to assist federal immigration authorities.

Governor Kristi Noem said that the deployment will add to the 50 troops she sent late last month to the southwest border. The new deployment will reportedly be funded by a Tennessee billionaire.

Noem said, “Our South Dakota National Guard is the very best in the country, and they are prepared for the sustained response the national security crisis at our southern border requires. I am hopeful that this mission indicates the Biden Administration is waking up to the devastating situation at the border.”

Noem is seen as a potential 2024 presidential contender as well as a loyalist to former President Trump. When the first deployment of South Dakota National Guard members was announced, she said “The border is a national security crisis that requires the kind of sustained response only the National Guard can provide. We should not be making our own communities less safe by sending our police or Highway Patrol to fix a long-term problem President Biden’s Administration seems unable or unwilling to solve.”

The latest troops from South Dakota will be joined by some 3,000 National Guard members from other states already stationed along the border. Republicans are seeking to highlight the growing trend of undocumented immigrants flowing into the country in recent months a wedge issue ahead of next year’s midterm elections and the 2024 presidential race.

The Hill