Forty members of the Arkansas National Guard are headed to the U.S. southern border with Mexico. This marks the second time the state’s National Guard personnel have been deployed to assist Texas law enforcement in policing the border. Speaking near Fort Smith yesterday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders told service members they’re “uniquely qualified” for the mission.
"You've provided this kind of assistance to other law enforcement around the country," Gov. Sanders said. "You've served across the world training and helping our foreign allies. And I was told over and over again that our troops were the best prepared, the best trained, and they were making the biggest difference."
National Guard personnel will be deployed to the region for 60 days. It’s part of “Operation Lone Star,” begun by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021. Major Cibeles Ramirez-Rodriguez, state public affairs officer for the Guard, said the estimated cost for this trip to the southern border is just more than $1 million, but emphasizes that this is a cost estimate and there are many variables that can change this number.
