Gov. Kim Reynolds to deploy Iowa National Guard troops to US-Mexico border this summer

Gov. Kim Reynolds is planning to send 100 Iowa National Guard troops and 30 Department of Public Safety employees to the U.S.-Mexico border this summer.

The National Guard troops will deploy to Texas for 30 days in August, and the Department of Public Safety employees will deploy for 30 days in September in response to a request for assistance from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Reynolds announced in a news release Tuesday.

Reynolds was one of 10 Republican governors to attend a briefing in Austin last week, according to a news release from Abbott's office.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Idaho Gov. Brad Little are also deploying troops or state police to the border. All are Republicans.

Abbott's request for assistance cited the expiration of Title 42 earlier this month. The pandemic-era policy allowed Border Patrol agents to expel migrants seeking entry into the U.S. in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Reynolds and other Republican governors have criticized President Joe Biden's handling of the southern border and his immigration policy.

"The consequences of an open border can be felt across the country as fentanyl and the cartels threaten our communities," Reynolds said in a statement. "While the White House chooses to do nothing, Republican governors stand ready to protect our states’ interests."

The Biden administration said it prepared for the end of Title 42 by sending 1,500 troops to the border, shifting hundreds more asylum officers and immigration judges to speed the processing of migrants and expanding holding capacity while also increasing the number of removal flights.

More: Gov. Kim Reynolds signs law to crack down on Iowa's fentanyl epidemic. Here's what it will do:

Reynolds signed a law on May 16 raising the criminal penalties for manufacturing, delivering or possessing fentanyl, which she has frequently described as tied to illegal border crossings.

Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration officials, however, say the majority of fentanyl is trafficked through legal ports of entry by U.S. citizens and is manufactured in China and Mexico.

Reynolds' announcement Tuesday did not say what duties the Iowa troops would perform or what the expected cost to taxpayers could be.

"We are in touch with Texas officials and still working out operational details at this time," said Kollin Crompton, a spokesperson for Reynolds.

"The Iowa National Guard is trained, prepared and always ready to aid in protecting Iowans, our communities and nation," Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, said in the news release. "Our units stand ready to deploy and conduct missions that are needed to secure our border and safeguard the American people."

Gov. Kim Reynolds also deployed Iowans to the southern border in 2021

This is the second time Reynolds has dispatched Iowa personnel to the border as part of "Operation Lone Star."

In 2021, Reynolds deployed about 28 Iowa State Patrol troopers to the border for 14 days in the Del Rio area in southwest Texas, where they accompanied Texas law enforcement on patrols, assisted with humanitarian efforts, helped disrupt criminal networks and investigated human smuggling, officials said at the time.

That mission cost roughly $300,000.

From 2021: Kim Reynolds says sending Iowa state troopers to US-Mexico border was 'the right thing to do'

Iowa law enforcement officials said the troopers' 2021 mission resulted in 240 criminal arrests, 51 vehicle pursuits and the seizure of 948 pounds of marijuana, 37 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine, 18 firearms and $1.7 million.

Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens said officers provided "much-needed aid and assistance" to Texas in 2021.

"Their need for help is even greater today, and we stand ready to support them without compromising our duties to our home state," he said in the news release.

At the time, Democrats and Latino civil rights groups criticized Reynolds for what they described as dangerous rhetoric that was harmful to Iowa's Latino community.

USA Today contributed to this article.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds to deploy Iowa National Guard troops to US-Mexico border