On Tuesday, Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced that he would send the troops to take part in Operation Lone Star, the controversial border security program spearheaded by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Strong words
“About two weeks ago, I visited the southern border,” Parson told reporters, “and let me not mince words when I say it is a crisis.”
Dubious claims
“The crisis at the southern border is fueling the fentanyl crisis here in our state,” Parson claimed. According to the Missouri Department of Health, drug overdoses are the number one cause of death among adults aged 18-44 in the state.
Fact check
According to an analysis by the National Immigration Forum, in 2022, 88% of people charged with trafficking fentanyl were US citizens. Similarly, an April 2023 report by Third Way concluded that “just 0.02% of people arrested by Border Patrol for illegally crossing possessed fentanyl.”
Continued speech
“Missourians are dying,” Parson continued,” families are being ripped apart, communities are being destroyed, and Missouri children are falling victim.”
Placing blame
“It all stems from the Biden administration’s reckless, irresponsible, and failing open-border policies,” Parson claimed. “With our southern border wide open, every state is now a border state.”
Face reality
Despite repeated claims by conservatives, Biden is not operating an open-border policy — quite the opposite. According to the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, “migrants were more likely to be released after a border arrest under President Trump than under President Biden.”
Final words
“President Biden and the federal government must step up to stop illegal entry into our nation, to stop the free flow of fentanyl into our communities, and combat the rise of human trafficking,” Parson argued.
Taking action
“We’ve waited long enough,” Parson said. “Missouri will act by deploying our own resources to secure our nation’s border.”
Numbers
Missouri will send 200 state National Guard troops and 22 Highway Patrol troopers. The latter group is due to begin their deployment on March 9. The state National Guard troops are set to arrive in Texas just over a week later.
Actions
According to a press release from Parson’s office, the National Guard troops “will mainly assist in the construction of physical barriers and with security patrols,” while the Highway Patrol officers “will work to support traffic enforcement, crime prevention, criminal interdiction, and other law enforcement agencies.”
Cost
Parson has requested $2.3 million to support the effort. The Texas border with Mexico is over 1,250 miles long.
Context
Missouri’s action has been criticized as “a publicity stunt and a waste of money better spent here,” according to local news. “Sir,” one Reddit user sarcastically wrote, “can you have the street lines painted so that we can see them in the rain?”
Critics pile on
“This freaking clown show,” another Reddit user wrote. “What do you expect from Governor HeeHaw?” another user responded.
Total mess
“Didn’t an entire convoy of donut vigilantes go down there and find nothing going on?” one user asked. They were referring to the “Take Back Our Border” convoy; in early February, some participants were filmed wondering why they had bothered going to the border after finding it almost entirely empty of migrants.
Legal battle
Greg Abbott is currently locked in a battle with the federal government. The Supreme Court has ordered him to remove some razor wire placed at the border as part of an effort to prevent migration but also to restrict federal officials from entering specific border areas.
Partisan struggle
After Abbott furiously insisted that his right to police the border trumped the federal government’s right to set immigration policy — contradictory to federal law and Supreme Court precedent — 25 Republican Governors signed a letter supporting him. Trump called on states to send troops to the border to support Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
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