Sununu requests $850K to send Guardsmen to assist in securing Texas border
Governor Chris Sununu on Tuesday wrote to members of the Fiscal Committee in request of authorization of funds to facilitate a state active-duty operation of the New Hampshire National Guard in support of security activities at the southern United States border to protect New Hampshire citizens from
CONCORD, NH – Governor Chris Sununu on Tuesday wrote to members of the Fiscal Committee in request of authorization of funds to facilitate a state active-duty operation of the New Hampshire National Guard in support of security activities at the southern United States border to protect New Hampshire citizens from harm.
The $850,000 in authorized expenditures will allow for up to 15 volunteer members of the New Hampshire National Guard to be stationed in Eagle Pass, Texas on state active duty for up to 90 days, under the operational direction of the Texas National Guard and will be consistent with existing state and federal laws.
Wrote Sununu:
On February 4, 2024, I traveled to Eagle Pass, Texas, with 13 other governors, and received a briefing directly from Texas authorities. Texas Governor Greg Abbott was clear – they need our help. While Texas has done admirable work in securing their border, they still need additional manpower and resources absent the Federal Government’s support. The Federal Government’s inaction at our nation’s borders has led to a crisis with direct impacts upon all fifty states. There is nothing safe, orderly, or humane about what is happening at the southern border. Fentanyl is pouring in, human trafficking is occurring unabated, and individuals on the terrorist watch list are coming in unchecked. Since Operation Lone Star was launched by Governor Greg Abbott, Texas law enforcement has seized over 450 million lethal doses of fentanyl – enough to kill every single American. The southern border has devolved into a corridor for the cartels to funnel fentanyl (and other drugs) into this country, fueling an epidemic of overdoses and ruined lives. Open borders invite threats of terrorism and other ill-intended aims.
Earlier this month Governor Sununu, along with 13 fellow governors, joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott for a briefing on the Operation Lone Star mission to secure the southern border. The visit came after Governor Sununu joined 24 of his fellow governors in writing to the Biden Administration in support of Texas’ constitutional right to self-defense and efforts to prevent the flow of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs, and human trafficking along the southern border.
In the letter to the Fiscal Committee, Governor Sununu writes, “Simply stated, in the absence of a willingness at the federal level to secure our border, states (both individually and collectively) must undertake efforts to protect the safety of their citizens.”
The Fiscal Committee is anticipated to meet and consider the Governor’s request on Friday, February 16, 2023.
In October of 2022, two units of the New Hampshire National Guard deployed to the southern border for a 1-year deployment. Approximately 120 soldiers from the 237th Military Police Company provided surveillance along the border, while approximately 44 soldiers from the 941st Military Police Battalion HQ provided command and control over four subordinate units along a 250-mile sector of the border extending to the Gulf of Mexico.
NOTE: A copy of the Governor’s letter to members of the Fiscal Committee can be found here.
