Oklahoma's governor and AG join Republican actions to protest U.S. border policy
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Oklahoma is more than 800 miles from the Mexican border but its National Guard will soon be fighting illegal crossings there, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Thursday.
"I believe it is in the best interest of Oklahoma and the nation to take decisive action to address the federal government’s utter failure to secure our southern border," Stitt said in a statement, although he did not provide any details on how many soldiers and airmen he planned to send.
Stitt is joining several other Republican governors in sending more than 1,300 troops to the Texas-Mexico border, according to a joint statement signed by 12 other governors, including from Arkansas and Florida.
Oklahoma's governor is the commander and chief of the Oklahoma National Guard, which has around 2,500 members across multiple divisions.
Republicans have long criticized Democrats for not doing enough to curb illegal immigration but the issue has intensified over the last year as the number of migrants has increased.
U.S. Border Patrol facilities have reported record numbers of detainments as thousands of people flee violence and poverty in countries all over the world.
Last year, Stitt joined 22 Republican governors to create a Border Strike Force, a collaboration of intel and resources designed to fight illegal border crossings. Stitt also has signed letters criticizing President Joe Biden over his administration's border policies. In 2021, Stitt traveled to the border.
"Republican governors continue to step up to the plate when President Biden refuses to lead; and by deploying our brave National Guard Troops, we are sending a strong message that we remain dedicated to defending our borders and upholding law and order in our nation," Stitt said.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond also has joined his Republican counterparts in criticizing Biden's response to illegal border crossings. This week, Drummond joined 17 other states in suing the Biden administration over rules created in response to the ending of pandemic-era regulations related to border crossings.
“The Biden Administration’s continued lack of a responsible and coherent immigration policy along our southern border is having disastrous consequences,” Drummond said in a statement.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Stitt will send National Guard troops to Texas-Mexico border
