Texas, Arizona hike number of troops heading to border

Texas and Arizona on Monday increased the number of National Guard troops they’re sending to the U.S.-Mexico border, The Associated Press reported on Monday.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Monday said he would increase the number of troops the state will send to the border from 250 to at least 1,000. 

On the same day, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said the Arizona National Guard would send 338 troops to the southern border.

The Arizona National Guard said 225 troops would be deployed on Monday and 113 on Tuesday, according to the AP.

The moves are part of President Trump’s recent call to send the National Guard to defend the southern border against migrants and drug trafficking.

Abbott told the San Antonio radio station KTSA that Texas would increase the number of troops it deploys by 300 each week. He added that there isn’t a fixed date for the troops’ deployment and they could be stationed for “long haul.”

Trump said last week that he would be sending up to 4,000 troops to the southern border until his proposed border wall was built.

The troops have been barred from interacting with migrants or any people that Border Patrol agents detain. They also would not be armed unless necessary for self-protection.

The original announcement that Arizona troops would be deployed came after Texas announced on Friday it would send 250 National Guard troops to its border with Mexico.

Trump’s call for sending troops to the border came after he was heavily criticized by his supporters for passing a federal budget that only allocated $1.6 billion for border security.

The National Guard troops are expected to help Border Patrol lower the number of people and contraband entering the U.S. through the southern border.

Updated at 6:45 p.m.