Mississippi sends National Guard to US-Mexico border, GOP governor says

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says he is mobilizing a National Guard unit to help with security at the U.S. border with Mexico

Mississippi Governor Border (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday that he has mobilized a National Guard unit to help with security at the U.S. border with Mexico.

“What happens at the border doesn’t stay there. Drugs and people are trafficked to every state in the nation — including Mississippi,” Reeves, a Republican, wrote on Twitter. “To keep Mississippians safe and limit the impact of our nation’s open borders, the Mississippi National Guard’s 112th Military Police Battalion has been mobilized and is supporting Customs and Border Protection officers and agents along the Southwest border.”

Reeves' announcement came a day after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he planned to send more than 1,100 National Guard soldiers and law enforcement officers to Texas to assist with border security between the U.S. and Mexico. DeSantis is expected to announce that he's running for president.

Mississippi does not share a border with Mexico, but Reeves blamed President Joe Biden's administration for people and drugs crossing the border without authorization.

“Every state has become a border state," wrote Reeves, who is seeking reelection this year.