Youngkin, McMaster join governors sending National Guard to southern border

Govs. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) and Henry McMaster (R-S.C.) on Wednesday announced they’re joining a number of their fellow Republicans in sending National Guard troops from their states to the southern border at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

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

The Virginia governor said the moves come after a group of governors were briefed by Abbott last week on what the Texas office called “the ongoing crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border and asked for assistance with “Texas’s unprecedented border security efforts.” Abbott cited the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a national interstate mutual aid agreement.

Youngkin on Wednesday issued an executive directive, and the state will deploy 100 troops from the Virginia National Guard, along with 21 support personnel.

“Given the intensive resource demands on Texas, the dangers posed by the fentanyl crisis, and impact of the border crisis on criminal activity to the Commonwealth, Virginia will do its part to assist the State of Texas’ efforts with the coordinated deployment of Virginia National Guard soldiers to assist in key aspects of their mission,” the directive said.

The Virginia troops will be under military command for a 30-day deployment and will be “equipped with weapons, ammunition, body armor, protective masks, and night
vision and other support devices,” according to Youngkin’s directive.

South Carolina’s McMaster also directed the deployment of his state’s National Guard troops, citing Abbott’s push.

“At the request of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, I have directed the deployment of South Carolina National Guard troops to Texas to help hold the line on the Southern border. The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison,” McMaster said in a statement.

McMaster’s office said “the mission remains in the planning phase” and the number of troops hasn’t been finalized, though the goal is to deploy by July 1. 

Abbott and other GOP governors in border states long have protested the Biden administration’s immigration policies and sounded alarms about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico crossing, particularly as the Trump-era Title 42 policy expired and migrant processing reverted to the system under Title 8, though so far the change has not produced the flood of migrants that many feared.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) earlier this month also announced his state was “sending help” to Texas, including more than 1,100 troopers, officers, soldiers and personnel.