Update: “California Governor Jerry Brown has agreed to accept 400 additional National Guard troops to fight transnational crime in his state, at the request of President Donald Trump. Some may be stationed at the U.S. southern border as some are now and others may be stationed elsewhere in the state.”
Jerry Brown’s letter to Secretary Nielsen and Secretary Mattis:
April 11, 2018
Dear Secretary Nielsen and Secretary Mattis:
Pursuant to your request, the California National Guard will accept federal funding to add approximately 400 Guard members statewide to supplement the staffing of its ongoing program to combat transnational crime. This program is currently staffed by 250 personnel statewide, including 55 at the California border.
Your funding for new staffing will allow the Guard to do what it does best: support operations targeting transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers along the border, the coast and throughout the state. Combating these criminal threats are priorities for all Americans – Republicans and Democrats. That’s why the state and the Guard have long supported this important work and agreed to similar targeted assistance in 2006 under President Bush and in 2010 under President Obama.
But let’s be crystal clear on the scope of this mission. This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws.
Here are the facts: there is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California. Overall immigrant apprehensions on the border last year were as low as they’ve been in nearly 50 years (and 85 percent of the apprehensions occurred outside of California).
I agree with the Catholic Bishops who have said that local, state and federal officials should “work collaboratively and prudently in the implementation of this deployment, ensuring that the presence of the National Guard is measured and not disruptive to community life.”
I look forward to working with you on this important effort.
Sincerely,
Edmund G. Brown Jr.
Original story starts here:
Brown did not agree to allow the troops to be involved with immigration enforcement according to the Associated Press.
Last week Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced that President Trump would send National Guard troops to the U.S. southern border. She added that the administration would work with border state governors in this effort. Trump followed with news that he would send 2,000 to 4,000 troops. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders later clarified that this was a starting number.
Border states Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico have already accepted the move.
Texas was quick to welcome the move, announcing that they would send 250 troops to their border. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said that some of the troops going to the Texas border will be armed. Approximately 250 are reported as going there.
Arizona recently deployed its first 225 troops to its border. They later added another 113.
New Mexico is sending 250 National Guard troops to its border. Breitbart Texas reported that about 80 of those were expected to start making the journey there this week.
Brown had been quiet about what his plans were with regard to Trump’s announcement until now.
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