Youngkin sends National Guard Troops to Mexico border

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin is joining the list of Republican governors sending soldiers or other state law enforcement officers to the U.S. border with Mexico.

Youngkin announced Wednesday that in response to a request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott he had signed an executive order directing the deployment of 100 Virginia National Guard soldiers and 21 support personnel.

“The ongoing border crisis facing our nation has turned every state into a border state,” Youngkin said in a statement. “As leadership solutions at the federal level fall short, states are answering the call to secure our southern border, reduce the flow of fentanyl, combat human trafficking and address the humanitarian crisis.”

Youngkin’s order said the soldiers will answer to a military commander during the 30-day deployment, not any local civilian authorities, and “will be equipped with weapons, ammunition, body armor, protective masks, and night vision and other support devices.”

The governor’s office said Texas made a request in mid-May for assistance with “continued instability along the U.S. border with Mexico, including the increase in supply of illegal drugs and human trafficking.” Texas’ request came through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, of which Virginia is a founding member, the news release said.

Youngkin’s press team did not immediately respond to a question about the expected cost of the mission or the source of funding.