Tennessee is set to send two waves of National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border in the coming months. This move comes as Republican governors from various states, including Tennessee, show their support for Texas in its ongoing dispute with federal authorities regarding immigration enforcement.
Governor Bill Lee recently visited Millington, Tennessee, to meet with the National Guard members who are being deployed. This comes after Governor Lee’s visit to the border, where he expressed his support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott in dealing with the border crisis. It is worth noting that Governor Abbott has received support from nearly all Republican governors, as they signed a statement in January affirming Texas’ constitutional right to defend itself.
According to Lee, Gov. Abbott has chosen to tap into Texas’ resources in order to secure the border and prevent the influx of traffic into his state. This decision was made based on the understanding that the task at hand is quite daunting, and hence, the governor has called upon other governors to join him in this effort.
Early this year, the Texas National Guard took over a popular Eagle Pass border crossing. As a result, federal immigration officials and Border Patrol officers were not allowed to go to the area. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court said the state couldn’t stop federal entry. This upheld a long-standing rule that the federal government, not the states, is in charge of border enforcement.
Texas and the federal government have been in a standoff for months over the record number of illegal border crossings, which Abbott called a “invasion” in January.
Earlier this year, the Texas National Guard took control of a well-known border crossing in Eagle Pass. As a result, Texas implemented measures to prevent federal immigration officials and Border Patrol agents from accessing the area. However, the U.S. Supreme Court intervened and upheld the principle that border enforcement falls under federal jurisdiction, not the states’. This ruling reaffirmed the long-established precedent that the federal government holds authority over border control.
National Guard deployment includes about 50 soldiers
Tennessee National Guard Major General Warner Ross declined to comment on where Tennessee’s contingent will be sent. Last year, Tennessee dispatched 125 soldiers to McAllen, Texas.
Authorities said Saturday that the fresh deployment will consist of around 50 soldiers deployed until March, with another wave replacing them later in the spring.
Lee said “most of America has come to realize” the ongoing border issues are “a true crisis for our country.” The governor on Saturday cited concerns with human and drug trafficking in unauthorized border crossings.
“You realize what is happening and what has been happening there has to change,” Lee told the guard members. “You are part of that change.”
Immigration surges as top issue in U.S.
According to a recent Gallup poll, immigration is now considered the foremost issue confronting the United States. This marks the first time since 2018 that immigration has taken the top spot on the list of concerns. With both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump making visits to the Texas border, the border issue is becoming a defining topic for the upcoming 2024 presidential elections.
Republicans have accused President Biden of reversing policies implemented by the Trump administration that were aimed at reducing the number of border crossings. However, according to a report by USA TODAY, the number of migrants arriving at the U.S. border actually more than doubled during the Trump administration in 2019, following a slight decrease in 2017. It is important to note that migration did see a significant decrease in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent travel restrictions imposed worldwide.
Border encounters at the Southwest border have increased under the Biden administration, coinciding with the lifting of pandemic restrictions. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded a total of 1.7 million migrant encounters in fiscal year 2021, followed by 2.4 million in fiscal year 2022, and a further 2.5 million in fiscal year 2023.
Republicans dealt a blow to a bipartisan U.S. Senate border security package last month. The package, which initially had the support of both Democrats and the GOP, included more conservative border policies. However, President Trump rallied opposition to the bill, leading to its downfall.
‘Very toxic political environment in this country’
In Texas, Abbott has used the border problem as an “invasion” in court documents to defend state sovereignty over federal immigration authority. Texas has said that it can go against federal law and handle immigration in any way it wants.
This week, a federal judge said that wasn’t true, temporarily blocking a Texas law that would have given the state more power to police immigration laws. As U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra wrote, large groups of immigrants are not an “invasion,” and Texas is not “engaging in war.”
People who are against Abbott and other Republican leaders say they use rhetoric about immigration to stir up fear in the public. In Tennessee, Democrats have said that the constant talk about immigration has made dangerously racist ideas more popular.
Lee often says that respecting others is one of his most important beliefs. He hasn’t yet echoed Abbott’s “invasion” rhetoric, but Tennessee fully supports Texas in its fight for sovereignty against federal immigration authorities. On Saturday, the governor said that the border issue should be put above politics, even though he agreed that the political climate in the country is “very toxic.”
Lee said, “Unfortunately, a lot of issues in this country that are practical have become very political.”
Lee talked about his worries about trafficking in people and drugs, as well as the deaths of people trying to cross the line. The governor said that people crossing the border without permission put the country in “dangerous and dangerous situations.” He also said that the US should “make way” for refugees who have a “good reason” to be here.
“I know that America is a safe place with lots of opportunities for people who are fleeing persecution and really need it,” Lee said. “This country does have a right way to do things.” In order to come to America, people must follow the law. We have always been a country with rules about immigration for people who follow them.
