OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced Thursday he is committed to sending Oklahoma National Guard troops to the Southern Border.
Gov. Stitt says the commitment comes in response to Governor Greg Abbott’s urge for reinforcements as Texas addresses the border.
“As Governor, the decision to deploy members of the National Guard is not one I take lightly and, as the parent of a deployed soldier, I am acutely aware of the sacrifices made by the brave men and women of our National Guard and their families during deployment. However, I believe it is in the best interest of Oklahoma and the nation to take decisive action to address the federal government’s utter failure to secure our southern border,” said Governor Stitt.
“Republican governors continue to step up to the plate when President Biden refuses to lead; and by deploying our brave National Guard Troops, we are sending a strong message that we remain dedicated to defending our borders and upholding law and order in our nation.”
Officials say Stitt is joined by 12 other Republican governors announcing their commitment to assisting at the border.
A portion of their joint statement is as follows:
“President Biden has abandoned his constitutional responsibility to secure the border and continues to fail to prevent millions of migrants from illegally crossing into our country. The illegal flow of criminals, drugs, and contraband moving across our border create an untenable situation for all states.”
In response, Republican governors are providing support where Biden failed. The personnel and resources from our states will enhance Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star security mission to deter and repel unlawful border crossings along the southern border.”
The entire joint statement can be found here.
According to officials, Republican governors have declared that 1,305 National Guardsmen and 231 Law Enforcement Personnel will be resources for Operation Lone Star.
At the beginning of May, President Biden announced his plans to send 1,500 troops to the border to fill certain roles and provide support. This came as the end of Title 42 was approaching.
