(The Center Square) – Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen sent more than 60 of his state’s National Guard troops to the Texas border to support Operation Lone Star, a big step up from the state’s last effort to help the Lone State state.
The group will arrive on August 2 and come home next month. These soldiers will provide observation and reporting near the border. They will also help with security and law enforcement efforts.
“This mission is critical to the security of Nebraska as well as other states,” Pillen said in the press release. “We need to maintain the safety of our citizenry and stem the ongoing influx of illegal drugs, weapons, and criminals into our borders.”
“President Biden’s border policies have been ineffective, requiring that states join together to help manage this issue,” he later added. “Failure to do so only opens the door to threats that we can’t fully recognize yet.”
The release said Operation Lone Star has helped stop illegal immigrants and drugs at the border.
Emergency management officials in Texas requested help from Nebraska in Operation Lone Star. The Emergency Management Assistance Compact makes this possible. The federal government funds the Nebraska National Guard and will cover the costs of this deployment.
Previously, Nebraska sent 10 state troopers to Texas to help with border drone surveillance for two weeks back in May.
“The Nebraska National Guard is always ready to respond when our fellow Americans are in need of assistance, whether the emergency is here within our state, within our nation’s borders, or overseas,” Adjutant General Craig W. Strong said in the release. “I am confident that our men and women will make a positive impact serving in support of Operation Lone Star.”
