FORT SMITH, Ark. — On Thursday morning Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent off 80 Guardsmen from Fort Chaffee as they make their way to the nation's southern border.
Starting July 1, the Arkansas National Guard will assist the Texas National Guard in the efforts to control immigration.
Prior to Arkansas joining, there were 50 guardsmen operating in Texas.
A crisis at the southern border that Governor Sanders says is one of the most pressing issues facing our country.
"All-time high illegal border crossings, a flood of deadly drugs like fentanyl, human traffickers operating with free rein. I was recently at a border briefing in Texas about a month ago. And in just a few weeks, they had already apprehended more people in that month that were on our terrorist watch list than the previous six years combined," Sanders said.
The Guardsmen will remain operating in Texas through the end of July.
They're expected to enhance surveillance and reconnaissance while providing increased detection and tracking.
Before Title 42 expired, border officials sent hundreds of thousands of immigrants back to their home countries, citing the spread of COVID-19 as a point of concern.
Sanders says handling the southern border is now in the hands of the states after what she views as the failure of the federal government.
"Some leaders in Washington think complacency equals compassion. So they've thrown the door open to the cartels, leaving states to pick up the pieces."
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