South Dakota's Kristi Noem deploys more National Guard troops to US border

Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota has announced that she will be deploying a further 75 South Dakota National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border. They will join the 50 she already had assigned to that region.

This additional manpower will be added to the more than 3,000 troops from Republican-led states already deployed at the border in order to help federal immigration personnel deal with the ongoing crisis situation there, according to The Hill.

The funds to support the additional 75 soldiers will be provided a billionaire who resides out of state but is collaborating with Gov. Noem and South Dakota.

The private funding, Noem spokesperson Ian Fury said, would "help alleviate the cost to South Dakota taxpayers." The donation was made by the Willis and Reba Johnson's Foundation.

"Our South Dakota National Guard is the very best in the country," Noem said, "and they are prepared for the sustained response the national security crisis at our southern border requires. I am hopeful that this mission indicates the Biden Administration is waking up to the devastating situation at the border."

"The border is a national security crisis that requires the kind of sustained response only the National Guard can provide."

"We should not be making our own communities less safe by sending our police or Highway Patrol to fix a long-term problem President Biden's Administration seems unable or unwilling to solve."

The White House calls this troop deployment nothing more than "a political gesture."

As regards "the unusual situation in South Dakota with the National Guard," a reporter asked, "where a private donation is being used to fund a deployment, I know [White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki] said she would get an answer. I'm just wondering if you had an update on the White House's view of the appropriateness of that."

"Yeah, so the White House is focussed not on political gestures, but rather on putting in the work and delivering the solutions. The progress made at the southern border in the first 150 days of the administration is pretty clear," Jean-Pierre said.

"The administration has made significant progress at establishing a well-managed and secure border while also treating people fairly and humanely. The American people support this approach."

"Separately," she went on, "DHS and CBP continue to leverage their long-standing relationship with state and local law enforcement, including deconflicting border operations in the region and responding to call-outs from other law enforcement agencies."