Missouri Governor Mike Parson recently announced that the state would send up to 200 National Guard members alongside 22 Missouri state highway patrol troopers to the southern border.
This announcement comes as many Republican governors around the United States are aligning with Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his disagreement with the federal government. The federal government and Texas are at odds about how to handle ongoing immigration problems.
The Supreme Court’s Decision
Texas and the federal government have been at odds about the southern border since President Joe Biden came to the White House. After the Texas National Guard began to put up razor wire barriers along their border, the federal government took this issue to the Supreme Court.
Recently, the Supreme Court decided that the Biden administration had the legal authority to remove these barriers, if they wanted to. Biden did this — and the Texas National Guard began to rebuild these barriers.
After the Supreme Court’s Decision
Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott clearly took a stand against the Biden administration and the federal government in this action. According to Texas, they are doing this because they need to protect their southern border.
Many Republican governors around the U.S. have backed Abbott. They’ve often said they would send their own state’s National Guard to the southern border to help. Now, many like Gov. Parson are doing exactly this.
Why Parson Is Sending the National Guard to Texas
Parson has said that he has decided to send some of Missouri’s National Guard to Texas to help with what he calls a “wide open” border.
“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,” Parson said.
Parson Blames Biden
Parson also took the time, while announcing he was sending National Guard members to Texas, to blame President Joe Biden for the ongoing issues at the southern border. Many conservatives blame the White House for immigration problems.
“It all stems from the Biden administration’s reckless, irresponsible, and failing open-border policies,” Parson said. “With our southern border wide open, every state is now a border state.”
Parson Enacts Executive Order
To allow Missouri National Guard members to head to Texas, Parson enacted an executive order. This order has activated the Missouri National Guard. Up to 200 guardsmen will be deployed to the southern border on a rotating basis.
This order will begin to be acted out by March 10. 2024. State troopers, meanwhile, have volunteered to go down to Texas. They will begin their duty there by March 1.
A New Supplemental Budget in Missouri
Parson is the latest Republican governor to also dip into the emergency funds their states have. When announcing he was sending guardsmen down to Texas, Parson also sent a new supplemental budget to the tune of $2.3 million.
This budget request was sent to Missouri’s Legislature. According to Parson, this budget request will “support border security efforts and backfill the Governor’s Office’s emergency response fund.”
Parson Pushes Biden to “Step Up”
While announcing this latest news, Parson also took the time to say that the Biden administration needed to “step up.”
“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,” Parson said.
Tasks for National Guard and Troopers
The Missouri National Guard members and state troopers that head down to the southern border will have a variety of tasks ahead of them. For one, they may help the Texas National Guard in their attempt to build more razor wire around the border — or otherwise secure the border in different ways.
However, they will also help in broader terms. They will work to stop illegal immigration and prevent illicit drug trafficking.
Biden Could Federalize National Guard
When the news first broke that the Texas National Guard was putting up razor wire again — after federal agents cut it down — many believed that Biden would soon federalize the state’s National Guard.
While Biden could do this, he hasn’t yet. Many Republicans have warned Biden against doing this. Abbott has said Texas is “prepared” if Biden does federalize the National Guard.
Parson’s Move Comes Amid GOP Killing Border Bill
Though Parson and many other Republican governors have said Biden isn’t doing anything to help the southern border, critics have disagreed. Many cite the fact that many GOP members in Congress agreed to kill a border bill recently because Donald Trump allegedly wanted it killed.
This border bill was attached to a foreign aid spending package that involved Ukraine, Israel, and other countries. However, the GOP eventually walked away from agreeing to any border bill.
Biden Touts Border Bill That GOP Killed
Biden has publicly lamented the fact that the GOP wouldn’t come to the table with a border bill they previously agreed on. According to Biden, this bill had “the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades.”
Biden also publicly blamed Trump for this. “All indications are this bill won’t even move forward to the Senate floor. Why? A simple reason: Donald Trump. Because Donald Trump thinks it’s bad for him politically,” Biden said.
