Gov. Asa Hutchinson has moved Arkansas National Guard members assigned to border security duty to Texas after New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham ordered Guard troops out of her state.
Grisham ordered most of her troops off the border after Donald Trump’s state of the union speech and also directed 25 troops from other states, including Arkansas, to depart as well.
“New Mexico will not take part in the president’s charade of border fear-mongering by misusing our diligent National Guard troops,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement.
Hutchinson indicated he’s happy to participate in border security. Trump has ordered thousands of federal troops to the border for supposed threats.
He said he’d told the Guard to move to Texas “where they have additional security needs and are requesting our assistance.”
Since May 2018, as many as eight Arkansas Guard personnel and two helicopters have been serving in New