Republican States Send National Guard to Texas Border to Show Power | US-Mexico Border

Republican governors of 14 states have sent National Guard and other personnel to the Texas-Mexico border, and immigrant advocates have used force to warn of the dangers to life and life. critics condemn as “political stunt”.

Florida’s Ron DeSantis It has the highest number of 1,100 personnel, 500 of whom are other personnel such as National Guard and law enforcement officers. group about 10 times anti immigration The governor will be dispatched in 2021.

Arkansas, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia In places such as the Governor uses words such as:crisis” again “war zone” and Blame Joe Biden said in a public statement that he “failed to fight off illegal activity.”

Their express was amidst repeated remarks in response to a call for reinforcements due to the emergency from Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Theme to the Commonwealth authority at the border.Abbott said Since 2021, “Texas has spent more than $4.5 billion on critical border security activities, and the Texas legislature is currently considering spending an additional $4.6 billion over the next two years.”

State officials have no authority to deal with people crossing the border. US-Mexico border Asylum applications fall under the jurisdiction of federal authorities, and experts warn their presence is confusing, intimidating and potentially dangerous.

“In my experience with migrants, I think they certainly feel threatened,” said Hanne Sandison, director of refugee and migrant programs at the nonprofit Human Rights Advocacy. .

She added: “They tell really clear and consistent stories about their horrible interactions with certain law enforcement agencies at the border. I don’t think it’s always clear who is who to them.”

The military usually guards with long coils of razor wire on the banks of the river marking the border, on the U.S. side, to deter people and order them to cross the Rio Grande back into Mexico, or to wait for the arrival of federal border agents. is ordered to wait for .

additional risks to them turned away The Rio Grande is knee-deep in some parts and involves crossing another river. potentially deadly In many other cases, taken by human smugglers, more dangerous intersection.

“Unfortunately, Governors DeSantis and Abbott have used various forms of intimidation and endangered immigrant lives over the past few years to gain political gain,” Sandison said. rice field.

In a statement to The Guardian, the Texas State Department of Defense said: Florida The National Guard, which arrived late last month, will be loosely dispersed from El Paso, on the western edge of the Texas-Mexico border, to Eagle Pass, 500 miles southwest, to “build up strength wherever needed.”

“Following orientation, Florida National Guard Service members texas The National Guard and Texas law enforcement partners continue to prevent, deter, and stop cross-border criminal activity between points of entry,” a department spokesperson said.

Sharyn Fulherty, executive director of Americas for Immigrant Justice, said most of the migrants she spoke to would actively cross the border in search of border agents who could turn themselves in. It was embarrassing to National Guard and other law enforcement personnel out of state.

“You have the right to seek asylum regardless of how you entered,” Fulherty said. “And so many times you see that, having no other choice, instead of trying to avoid federal immigration officers, they cross the river looking for federal immigration officers and are kind of forced to do so. These are the people who had no choice but to enter.”

She added: “When you encounter other border enforcement officers who have no actual authority and, more specifically, are not trained to receive highly vulnerable people fleeing persecution or harm, it can be very dangerous. I think it’s going to be confusing.” I’m about to turn myself in to law enforcement for protection. ”

other states are announced plans Send the National Guard to Texas, although far fewer than in Florida, including North Dakota, Idaho, NebraskaIowa, West Virginia, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Mississippi, also aimed at cracking down on drug trafficking.

Past out-of-state troop deployments to Texas include: account guard members often have little to do They also suffer from low morale.

A Texas official with border patrol experience, speaking to the Guardian on condition of anonymity for fear of reprimand, said out-of-state National Guard soldiers have been helpful and a “great deterrent” to migration, and have been on duty. Some people enjoy it, some people don’t, he said. What?

“Many soldiers and soldiers complained about being away from their families for so long. I think it’s a personal issue for the staff, and their dedication to work can be overwhelming for our spouses,” an official said, referring to some of the visiting soldiers. added:you here [and] we are lucky to have them. they become part of the community. ”

Abbott’s border security program, Operation Lone Star, very controversial The Department of Justice (DoJ) is investigating issues of immigration treatment, military requirements and state legal authority.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

On the other hand, DeSantis signed the anti-immigration The law was enacted last month just before it was formally declared his run for the president.

The law criminalizes Floridians who help illegal immigrants and makes it harder for immigrants to find jobs, while the governor is causing turmoil by adjusting flights to Florida. accept immigrants From Texas to Sacramento, California Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusettsfalse promises of prearranged work and housing have been reported.

“They are human beings, not political pawns. We can and should do better as a country,” Sandison said. will die,” he added.

Governors’ offices for Texas and Florida declined to comment.