The Virginia Mercury

Youngkin deploys 100 Virginia National Guard troops for border enforcement in Texas

As governor points to federal failures, Democrats call deployment a political stunt

By: Graham Moomaw - May 31, 2023 12:25 pm

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is sending 100 Virginia National Guard troops and 21 support personnel to help with border security in Texas, according to a Wednesday announcement from Youngkin’s office.

The governor’s office portrayed the move as stepping up to help with an issue the federal government has failed to address, but Virginia Democrats criticized it as a wasteful political ploy as Youngkin continues to consider a possible presidential run.

In a news release, Youngkin said he was ordering the deployment of state resources in response to a request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who convened a group of Republican governors in Austin earlier this month to discuss how other states could help with Texas’ Operation Lone Star border initiative.

“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Youngkin said in a news release. “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.”

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