Gov. Eric Holcomb is sending members of the Indiana National Guard to the southern border of the United States as part of an ongoing showdown between the state of Texas and the federal government over the flow of migrants into the country.
Holcomb visited the border earlier this week, along with about a dozen other Republican governors.
In a statement Friday announcing the 10-month deployment of 50 National Guard members, Holcomb accused the federal government of negligence. He said the “constant supply of killer drugs over an open U.S. border” will harm Hoosiers and the state’s ongoing struggle with substance use disorder.
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This is not the first time the Indiana National Guard has been deployed to the region. More than 300 served on the southern border over the last three years — but they were part of federal missions.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Curtis Hill called for Holcomb to deploy the guard to the border Wednesday, saying the governor should do his part to protect Hoosiers.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5 .
