The Commonwealth is responding to a request from the Lone Star State, asking for emergency assistance to help with the border crisis.
100 national guard troops and 21 personnel will embark on a month-long deployment at a cost of $3.1 million.
While the migrant surge has been a hot-button issue, we’re told this mission is to limit the snowball effect of human trafficking and Fentanyl distribution.
Governor Youngkin says these illegal drugs flowing over our border kill an average of five Virginians per day.
“Texas has taken on the lion’s share of the responsibility in order to secure the border and I believe we have a role to play, that’s why I very carefully made this decision in order to support the work they’ve done in Texas because Virginians have a lot of risk here too,” Youngkin said.
Republicans like Congressman Morgan Griffith applauded the governor’s decision saying in part, “Our country is currently in crisis due to the Biden Administration’s inability to control our southern border. Here in Virginia, we too feel the effects of the administration’s flawed open border policies.”
However, Democratic Senator Mark Warner urged for immigration reform, adding in his statement, “I will continue to urge my Republican colleagues to come to the table and address this situation with long-term policy answers as opposed to short-term gimmicks.”
Some are also questioning if the governor had the authority from the federal level to deploy these troops.