Youngkin sends National Guard to patrol U.S. border
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Photo Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Washington Post, Bloomberg, Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images
Gov. Youngkin is deploying 100 National Guard troops to the U.S. border in Texas.
What's happening: The announcement Wednesday came in response to a request for support earlier this month by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Why it matters: The decision, which drew immediate condemnation from Democrats, pulls the state into a partisan fight over immigration policy it had previously avoided.
Context: Abbott's plea came as Texas was bracing for a surge of border crossings, which never materialized.
- Instead, the number of unauthorized entries dropped from a daily average of 10,000 to 4,400 amid tighter rules put in place by the Biden administration, per CBS News.
What they're saying: Youngkin framed the move as an attempt to help tamp down drug trafficking, particularly of fentanyl.
- "Texas has become a first line of defense to fight the flow of criminals, contraband, and deadly drugs into communities across the nation," he wrote in his directive authorizing a 30-day deployment.
The other side: Democrats criticized the deployment as a stunt aimed at advancing Youngkin's political career.
- “As a veteran, I’m really disturbed that he would use National Guardsmen for political theater to further his presidential ambitions,” House Minority Leader Don Scott told the Washington Post.
Of note: It's the first time Virginia's National Guard has been mobilized outside the state since Gov. Ralph Northam sent troops to the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
Catch up fast: Abbott announced he was deploying 450 troops to the border earlier this month to prepare for the end of Title 42, a pandemic policy that allowed the federal government to immediately expel migrants, per the Texas Tribune.
Zoom out: Youngkin is following in the footsteps of a confirmed presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who announced earlier this month he would send 800 National Guard soldiers and hundreds of other law enforcement personnel to the Texas border.
- And West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced Wednesday he had approved the deployment of up to 50 members of the West Virginia National Guard.
What's next: The Virginia troops are expected to deploy in July, Youngkin's press secretary, Macaulay Porter, told Axios.
- She said the mission is expected to cost Virginia $3.1 million.