JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Later this week, more Missouri National Guard troops will deploy to Texas to help secure the southern border.
The state currently has around 250 National Guard members deployed to the southern border who are under federal orders. Gov. Mike Parson wants more boots on the ground, sending additional soldiers to Texas, but under state orders.
The proposal comes with a price tag and it’s up to Missouri taxpayers to foot the bill.
Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe spent the weekend in Laredo, TX, to visit the troops from Missouri. The service members assisting the border in this area are under federal orders, helping the Department of Homeland Security with border security operations.
“I’m not a big fan of taxes, but if we’re going to pay taxes, there’s a few things we ought to be able to do and that is security, whether that’s your local police and fire department or, in this case, the National Guard,” Kehoe said.
A plan to send up to 200 National Guard members and 22 Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers is estimated to cost the state $2.2 million.
“Honestly, it feels like the whole reason we’re here having this debate about the budget question is to have that debate about a hot button political topic in an election year and say, ‘Look what we’re doing about the border,’” Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, said Tuesday.
Parson announced last month that he wants to help Texas Gov. Greg Abbott by sending Missouri resources to the southern border, but it’s up to Missouri taxpayers to pay the cost. That comes after Parson met with governors from more than a dozen states in Eagle Pass, TX, to get a better idea of Operation Lone Star and to offer more resources.
Eagle Pass is the Texas city that has become a flashpoint in the immigration debate. The discourse started after the state and U.S. Border Patrol agents began denying entry into the country. Abbott touted the state’s efforts during the visit to reinforce border security, like installing additional razor wire.
According to the state’s Budget Director, Dan Haug, the state has $4 million set aside in an emergency fund to pay for the deployment. Haug told lawmakers last week they need to approve the additional $2 million as a backstop for the state. The House gave first-round approval to the $2.2 million legislation Tuesday.
“Whether or not you like the bill, in my mind, is not the question we’re asking today,” Rep. Betsy Fogle, D-Springfield, said. “The question we’re asking today is: do we want to give an additional $2 million knowing that the troops are already going to go in case of another crisis like a tornado or some other natural disaster hits our state?”
The debate didn’t come without some heartburn, especially since the state is short more than 100 MSHP troopers.
“Our troopers, we’re down 132 troopers right now and for some reason, we feel we have enough to send some to another state,” Rep. Deb Lavender, D-St. Louis, said.
Kehoe, on his first trip to the border, met with more than 100 National Guard troops who have been in Texas since October, helping the federal government.
“What these men and ladies are doing is they are assisting border patrol and watching various points along the Rio Grande River for folks coming across that should not be coming across,” Kehoe said. “If we can send additional resources down to help Gov. Abbott close or help slow down what’s coming across the border that’s eventually getting into multiple states, including Missouri, I think that’s a good thing to be doing for our citizens.”
Kehoe, who is running for governor, supports Parson’s plan to send more troops to the border, saying every state is a border state.
“In 2023 alone, Missouri spent over $460 million taking care of illegal aliens,” Kehoe said. “Those are resources I would like to see spent on our veterans, on our teachers; pick any category that we should be able to use those resources.”
The $2.2 million legislation needs one final vote in the House, which is expected to come later this week. Once approved by representatives, it heads to the Senate.
11 MSHP troopers will have boots on the ground in Texas March 1. During the mission, it’s possible that up to 22 troopers could be deployed. Haug told senators Thursday that the cost of sending MSHP down to the southern border has a price tag of $206,000.
The National Guard members will follow, with the first deployment to be active in Texas March 10. According to the National Guard, there will be four rotations of 50 service members. The cost of the National Guard’s mission is estimated to be $2.17 million.
The National Guard is being tasked with constructing barriers, while highway patrol members will be working alongside troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Missouri is joining 14 other states in deploying resources to the southern border. The mission is set to last 90 days, though it could be extended.
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