Arizona Democrat Gov Calls National Guard To Border

In a rebuke of Joe Biden’s ongoing open borders crisis hammering the nation, even his Democrat allies are beginning to say enough is enough. On Friday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed an executive order deploying the state’s National Guard to its southern border with Mexico. Hobbs, who won the highly contested and questionable 2022 gubernatorial election against Republican Kari Lake, said in the order: “Yet again, the federal government is refusing to do its job to secure our border and keep our communities safe.”

During last year’s campaign, Hobbs and Lake had sharply contrasting views on various policies, including border security, a vital issue in the election. Hobbs emphasized working with federal agencies and neighboring states to address border issues. In contrast, Lake, who is closely aligned with President Donald Trump, took a more hardline stance on border security, advocating for more aggressive measures to curb illegal immigration.

The Arizona National Guard (ANG) is now expected to primarily support the state’s Department of Public Safety at the border region, according to statements by ANG Capt. Erin Hannigan. The ANG will mainly work to alleviate the immense workload facing state law enforcement officers, allowing them to focus more directly on critical law enforcement tasks. 

Illegal border crossings have skyrocketed, especially in the Tucson Sector. U.S. Chief Border Patrol Agent John Modlin recently announced that the sector’s staff would pause all social media updates and activity to allocate limited resources to handle the unprecedented surge of illegal migration better there.

In the fiscal year 2023, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents encountered a new record number of nearly 2.5 million illegal migrants at the southern border. The new record eclipsed the previous high set just the year before and includes the migrants who have learned the procedure for approaching ports of entry to request asylum. Arizona shares a significant portion of the border with Mexico. The state has witnessed a considerable influx of migrants, contributing to the overall surge across the border.  

Some Democrats are beginning to join Republicans in showing public frustration with the Biden administration’s refusal to enforce the federal immigration laws enacted by Congress. Hobbs expressed the growing dissatisfaction with her executive order: “For far too long, Arizona has borne the burden of federal inaction in managing the State’s southern border.”