Governor Greg Abbott announced in a press conference on Friday his intention to deploy 1,000 additional National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border along the boundary of Texas.
In a press conference alongside Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, Abbott announced the decision, citing statistics that more than 45,000 people have been apprehended while trying to cross the border illegally in the past three weeks.
"The crisis at our southern border is unlike anything we’ve witnessed before and has put an enormous strain on the existing resources we have in place," Abbott said. "With the deployment of these troops, we are taking action to confront the crisis at the border and keep potentially dangerous criminals and illegal activity out of our communities. By working together with our federal partners, we will continue to pursue a strong and comprehensive strategy to secure our border."
Bonnen also said during the press conference that he supports the deployment, saying the federal government has “fallen short” in certain areas of border security.
"As a longtime advocate for border security, I support today's announcement as yet another example of Texas stepping up and filling in the gaps where the federal government has fallen short," Bonnen said.
Governor Abbott’s Office says the federal government will pay for 100 percent of the costs associated with this short-term deployment.
