(The Center Square) – Iowa National Guard troops and state patrol officers who participated in Operation Lone Star have returned from their deployment to the southern border, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday.
Thirty-one Iowa State Patrol officers and 109 soldiers from the Iowa National Guard went to the border after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requested help from other states.
“I’m especially proud to mention that all of the individuals who served did so voluntarily,” Reynolds said. “Because they believed so strongly in the mission and I think that says something both about the importance of the operation and just the quality of the men and women who choose to serve in uniform. It’s impressive but it’s not surprising. Iowans always step up when help is needed. It’s who we are and it’s what we do, and Texas needed our help to fill the gap that’s been created by the president and his administration.”
Iowa was among other states, including Virginia, West Virginia, Nebraska, Tennessee and others, to send National Guard troops to the U.S. southern border.
During their deployment, Iowa National Guard soldiers assisted in the apprehension of approximately 1,700 illegal immigrants, the surrender of around 1,200 immigrants and the arrest of two people with outstanding U.S. warrants, Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn said during a press conference alongside the governor.
“In all, our soldiers performed static and non-static missions along the border to include observation points, prevent, detect and interdict missions in coordinated searches for migrants who were hiding or attempting to avoid detection and apprehension,” Osborn said.
Reynolds criticized President Joe Biden for reversing “common sense policies” that protected the border, which she said opened the gates to an “all too predictable border crisis” that has reached across the U.S., including Iowa.
“From 2020 to 2022, Iowa has seen a 500% increase in fentanyl seizures, a 100% increase in meth seizures, and we have seen drug-related deaths increase by 35%. We have seen unprecedented levels of fentanyl, meth, and cocaine now exist in our region’s drug supply and it’s putting Iowans at risk,” the governor said.
The total number of encounters at the southern border was just under 460,000 in 2020, compared to nearly 2.5 million encounters in 2023, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“For more than two years, Texas has been ground zero for the national security and humanitarian crisis that we see taking place on the southern border. As governor, I have a responsibility to protect the safety and well being of Iowans and protecting them at home starts with protecting the southern border. That’s why I was so proud to respond to Gov. Abbott’s request for support of Operation Lone Star,” said Reynolds.
