Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will send 185 National Guard troops to the U.S. Southern border in an attempt to curb the dramatic increase in illegal immigration.

The members of the National Guard will assist border patrol agents in a non-law enforcement capacity during their time there.

“I have approved a request from the @DHSgov and the @USNationalGuard to activate additional members of the @OHNationalGuard in support of the Southwest Border mission. 185 members of the Ohio Army National Guard will be deployed to provide non-law enforcement support,” DeWine announced in a tweet.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden ended an emergency declaration that allowed the Trump administration to send additional resources to the area. Furthermore, the proclamation immediately ended construction of the wall being built along the Southern border.

The border crisis has resulted in overcrowded processing facilities that are holding thousands of migrants. Further, human and illegal drug trafficking has skyrocketed across the region.

While DeWine’s approval comes from a request from the Department of Homeland Security, recently, Governors Doug Ducey (R-AZ) and Greg Abbott (R-TX) pleaded with states to send additional resources to the two border states.

“Texas and Arizona have stepped up to secure the border in the federal government’s absence, and now the Emergency Management Assistance Compact gives your State a chance to stand strong with us,” the two explained in their letter to governors.

The letter also identified that Arizona’s Border Strike Force has intercepted 64,410,064 deadly doses of fentanyl.

Several states have stepped up and promised to send resources to the border. Governors Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Kristi Noem (R-SD) have already sent representatives from various state agencies to assist.

“The state of Texas is requesting more assistance. The federal government was requesting more assistance. The state of Ohio is answering those requests for assistance,” a spokesperson for DeWine said.

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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Ohio National Guard” by The National Guard. CC BY 2.0.