After the Trump administration announced it would send National Guard troops to the southern border, Democratic Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said that she would refused to send troops from her state.
If @realDonaldTrump asks me to deploy Oregon Guard troops to the Mexico border, I’ll say no. As Commander of Oregon’s Guard, I’m deeply troubled by Trump’s plan to militarize our border.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 4, 2018
There’s been no outreach by the President or federal officials, and I have no intention of allowing Oregon’s guard troops to be used to distract from his troubles in Washington.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 4, 2018
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the decision to send troops to the border on Wednesday. She said that troops would be deployed immediately and that they would support border patrol officers and not act in an enforcement capacity.
Trump said earlier in the week that he wanted troops to guard the border while his wall is under construction. He said that the move was unprecedented, though troops have been sent to the border to support border patrol officers in the past.
