Kim Reynolds deploys 100+ Iowa National Guard, State Patrol officers to US-Mexico border

Gov. Kim Reynolds will send more than 100 Iowa State Patrol officers and National Guard soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border over the coming months to assist Texas' efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

Reynolds, a Republican, traveled to Texas last month to join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and a dozen other GOP governors at a news conference on illegal immigration. After she returned, she said she was looking at options for sending Iowa law enforcement to the border to assist Texas' efforts.

In a statement Thursday, Reynolds said President Joe Biden has "failed" to protect the southern border and said Texas is facing "an invasion" of migrants entering the country illegally.

More: Kim Reynolds dismisses need for new immigration law, says she'll send more soldiers to border

“These deployments will help Texas on the frontlines of this crisis," Reynolds said in the statement. "I am grateful to all the members of the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Iowa National Guard for volunteering for the deployment. It’s a testament to their leadership and willingness to serve.”

Reynolds is also poised to sign a bill modeled on a Texas law that would allow state law enforcement officers to arrest and deport people who have previously been deported or denied entry to the United States.

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Texas over the law, arguing it unconstitutionally usurps the federal government's authority to enforce immigration laws. The Texas law is blocked by the courts until that challenge is decided.

How many Iowa State Patrol troopers, Iowa National Guard soldiers will Iowa send to the border?

Eight Department of Public Safety troopers and two sergeants will deploy to Texas from March 31 through April 27 to support the Texas Department of Public Safety's "Operation Lone Star" mission, according to a news release.

The Iowa National Guard will send 110 members to support the Texas military from April 1 through May 3.

Another five Iowa National Guard members will provide "ground vehicle maintenance and public affairs support" from April 1 through Sept. 30, the news release states.

More: Iowa law enforcement could arrest undocumented immigrants under bill going to Reynolds' desk

Reynolds will use federal money from the American Rescue Plan to pay for the deployments. The COVID-19 relief package, which Biden signed into law in 2021, was universally opposed by Republicans.

The governor has deployed State Patrol personnel and National Guard soldiers to the border in the past.

Last year, Reynolds sent 109 National Guard soldiers to Texas from Aug. 2 to Sept. 1. Thirty-one state patrol officers and agents followed, deploying from Aug. 31 to Oct. 2.

The total cost for last year's mission was about $2.1 million, which was paid for with federal American Rescue Plan funding.

In 2021, Reynolds deployed about 28 Iowa State Patrol troopers to the border for 14 days in the Del Rio area in southwest Texas. at a cost of about $300,000 in state taxpayer dollars.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds sending Iowa National Guard soldiers to southern border