Support continues to pour in for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott from fellow Republican governors who have sent their National Guard troops to Texas. They are also participating in an Emergency Management Assistance Compact with Texas, sending personnel to assist in Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star.
In the face of ongoing threats by the Biden administration to strip Texas of what Abbott says is its constitutional right to defend itself, the governors have vowed to “stand with Texas.”
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “If President Biden won’t defend us, states will have to defend themselves. Arkansas stands with Texas.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was among the first to send National Guard troops to Texas, said, “If the Constitution really made states powerless to defend themselves against an invasion, it wouldn’t have been ratified in the first place and Texas would have never joined the union when it did. Texas is upholding the law while Biden is flouting it. Florida will keep assisting Texas with personnel and assets.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said, “Enough is enough. Our southern border is in crisis thanks to the Biden administration’s refusal to do their job. Gov. Greg Abbott and the state of Texas have our full support,” saying he would “stand shoulder to shoulder with Gov. Abbott.”
Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he was “united behind Gov. Greg Abbott and the State of Texas.” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who sent National Guard troops to Texas last year “to stop this invasion,” said, “When the federal government fails, states step in. Iowa stands with Texas.”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, the state’s former attorney general who sued the Biden administration several times over border policies, said, “Louisiana stands with Texas.
“Enough is enough. We support legal not illegal immigration. We support secure and safe borders, not open border policies that allow criminals, human trafficking and drugs to pour into this country. We stand with Governor Abbott and Texas in reminding the federal government under our constitution, states are still sovereign, and we have the right to protect our citizens.”
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who last year came to Texas to thank National Guard troops serving there, said their states “stand with Texas.” Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo also said, “Nevada stands with Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott. The Biden Administration has failed to defend the border, and Texas has a constitutional right to self-defense.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, said, “As the Biden administration fails miserably to secure the southern border, Americans and our communities are paying the price. Gov. Greg Abbott deserves our thanks for taking action to stop illegal crossings and disrupt drug and human trafficking. North Dakota stands with Texas.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who has deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to Texas since 2020, said, “The situation at our country’s southern border is untenable and just keeps getting worse. The Biden Administration’s policy has been a total failure, and we need change now.”
DeWine supports “Texas’ and Abbott’s efforts as a state to stop this border crisis,” he said, adding that “Ohio has stepped up to assist and … will continue to do our part to support Texas and support policies to secure our border.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who has deployed National Guard troops to Texas since 2018, said he supported “Texas’ constitutional right to self-defense in response to the Biden Administration’s continued attacks on their border security efforts. South Carolina has long stood with Texas, and we certainly won’t stop now.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who has sent National Guard troops to Texas three times, announced she was going to Texas on Friday “to the warzone at the southern border to stand with Texas and the National Guard and tell them that the nation is with them.”
“This is about our Constitution. This is about us standing united,” she said. South Dakota is “not only with” Texas National Guard troops but “we have continued to be with them for the last several years.” She expressed support for Texas’ self-defense, saying, “We’ll be right there beside them. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that this invasion stops.”
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who’s sent hundreds of National Guard troops to the border over the last three years, said, “we will continue to offer Texas our strong support. States are playing a powerful role in national security while the federal government fails to act.”
Also expressing support for Texas, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said, “The border is a disaster that continues to spiral out of control. This is not a partisan issue. This is a national security issue. This is a commonsense issue. This is an American issue.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said, “Virginia supports Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas’ constitutional right to defend itself.”
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said, “The Biden Administration has turned every state into a border state. We must stop the flow of fentanyl, human trafficking, and criminal activity and secure our border. We support Gov. Greg Abbott and the State of Texas.”
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said, he is “committed to a secure border, and to supporting states struggling with the ongoing security crisis. Wyoming has offered resources and committed them to this effort. Secure borders prevent criminals and deadly drugs like fentanyl from entering our country and making their way to Wyoming. Wyoming stands in solidarity with Governor Abbott and the State of Texas in utilizing every tool and strategy to secure the border and protect American citizens. We are all border states now.”
