Kemp sending more Georgia National Guard troops to Texas

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said he will send more of his state’s National Guard troops to Texas to assist in its efforts to curb illegal crossings at the southern border.

“To be clear, the crisis on the border is a national problem and it demands a national solution. But if the Biden administration continues to fail the American people, then we have no choice, no choice but to step in,” Kemp said during a Tuesday briefing.

Kemp announced that additional “reinforcements” will join the Georgia guardsmen in Texas this spring. The troops include those with engineering, mechanical and general purpose skills, and they will assist with the construction of a command post at the U.S.-Mexico border, he noted.

The first set of Georgia troops were deployed to the Texas border in 2019, and 29 guard members remain deployed for missions such as aerial surveillance, The Associated Press reported.

Kemp on Tuesday tore into the White House’s handling of the border, saying the border crisis is “not a partisan issue.”

“This is a public safety and humanitarian crisis caused by Joe Biden’s failure to act,” Kemp said. “The crisis is ruining lives, families, and whole communities overturn by the challenges it brings. Well, while Joe Biden may not be willing to act, we will.”

The move from Kemp comes amid Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) standoff with President Biden over how to address the border situation.

Abbott has defended his state’s authority to protect its border after a Supreme Court order allowed the federal Border Patrol to remove barriers erected by state law enforcement.

The Texas governor has argued the fencing is required for his state’s security and claimed earlier this month that razor wire installed at a park in Eagle Pass, Texas, produced a “massive reduction” in migrants flowing through the area.

A series of GOP governors have publicly backed Abbott amid his showdown with the Biden administration.