On Wednesday, Governor Doug Ducey extended the Arizona National Guard’s border security mission for one year in response to increasing public safety concerns. The border mission will continue with the $25 million in funding from the FY 2022 budget passed by the Arizona State Legislature this year.
The governor’s extension comes just days after the U.S. Attorney In Arizona announced that in the month of July, the “office charged 144 individuals with illegal reentry. Of those 144, 127 had previous convictions for non-immigration offenses.”
*For example, Francisco Guadalupe Fimbres-Galvez, a 39-year-old Mexican national who was previously indicted for illegal reentry after deportation, was sentenced on August 10, 2021 by United States District Court Judge John C. Hinderaker to serve 2 years in prison.
— US Attorney Arizona (@USAO_AZ) August 16, 2021
The governor cited that fact that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported “a stunning 21-year record high number of illegal border crossings and the Biden-Harris administration comes under bipartisan criticism for its failures at the border.”
The governor says the extension for another year “means law enforcement officers serving along the border will continue to receive much-needed support as they work to defend against criminal activity.”
“The Biden-Harris administration has utterly failed to secure the border,” said Ducey in a press release. “It’s clear that this White House has neither the ability nor the desire to address the border disaster — a crisis of their own making. Illegal immigrant apprehensions are the highest in two decades. Law enforcement is overwhelmed. The situation is out of control. This situation is the direct result of reckless policies and failed communication by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported this month 212,672 illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border, up 13 percent from 188,829 the month before. This represents a 21-year record high, following last month’s 20-year record. Illegal immigrant encounters have climbed every month President Biden and Vice President Harris have been in office.
In closed-door comments revealed on Friday, Biden-Harris Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called the border crisis “unsustainable,” said “these numbers cannot continue” and said “if our borders are the first line of defense, we’re going to lose.” Mayorkas also reportedly said he was “very well” aware that portions of the border came close to “breaking” recently. “We can’t continue like this, our people in the field can’t continue and our system isn’t built for it,” said Mayorkas.
Even the Washington Post editorial board slammed the Biden-Harris administration for its multiple failures on border policy. “What is mostly missing … is an actual plan for action,” the Post wrote. “They have driven a policy whose incoherence has yielded pressure at the border that may cost the Democrats control of one or both houses of Congress in next year’s midterm elections.”
“The brave men and women of the Arizona National Guard are standing in the gaps,” Ducey said. “Their mission directly contributes to the success of law enforcement officers working to maintain law and order on Arizona’s southern border. I’m grateful to all those who serve our state and are working day and night to keep Arizonans safe.”
More than 150 Arizona National Guardsmen are currently serving in border communities in support of local and state law enforcement. Tasks the guardsmen are performing include:
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Assisting with medical operations in detention centers;
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Camera maintenance and monitoring;
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Data analysis; and
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Logistics and administrative support to local law enforcement.