Should The New Hampshire National Guard Be Sent To The United States-Mexico Border?

CONCORD, NH — Gov. Chris Sununu has requested $850,000 to send 15 New Hampshire National Guardsmen to Eagle Pass, Texas, for three months to assist the Lone Star state guardsmen in securing the United States border with Mexico.

A hearing before the Legislative Fiscal Committee will be held on Friday.

Sununu, along with more than a dozen other governors, met with TX Gov. Greg Abbott to see how bad the situation at the border was for themselves. Sununu also joined 24 governors in writing to the Biden Administration to support Abbott’s efforts to stem the tide of millions of migrants pouring over the porous American border, keep deadly drugs out of the country, and stop human trafficking while also backing Texas’ constitutional right to self-defense. Sununu has also worked to try to secure funds for New Hampshire’s northern border, which has also seen illegal crossings.

“The federal government’s inaction at our nation’s borders has led to a crisis with direct impacts upon all 50 states,” the governor said in a letter to the committee. “There is nothing safe, orderly, or humane about what is happening at the southern border.”

Sununu said Operation Lone Star led to the seizure of more than 450 lethal doses of fentanyl, more than enough to kill every American. He said the open border invites “threats of terrorism and other ill-intended aims.”

When activated, the New Hampshire guardsmen will work under the operational direction of the Texas guard, he said.

Sununu said the request to the Fiscal Committee fell under state law, allowing for action to be implemented “on an expedited basis to combat harms to the safety and welfare of the state.”

Gubernatorial Candidates Respond

Both Democrats and Republicans commented on the proposal by Sununu, and, not surprisingly, Republicans supported the idea, and Democrats did not.

Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte backed the proposal, saying the Biden administration’s “disastrous open-border policies are dangerous and have allowed more deadly fentanyl to flow into New Hampshire.” She added, “While Joe Biden fails, governors are stepping up to secure our country — I fully support Gov. Sununu’s efforts and will always oppose sanctuary policies and fight to secure our borders.”

Former Senate President Chuck Morse agreed, saying he was standing with both Sununu and Abbott after Biden “unleashed a wave of violence, drugs, and crime across our nation, and regrettably, we're now witnessing its impact in our Granite State.” He also commended both governors for focusing on security at the border.

“This crisis demands bipartisan support and unified action,” he said. “As I've emphasized before, New Hampshire stands in solidarity with Texas. As we anticipate the Fiscal Committee's deliberation on February 16, 2024, I urge my colleagues and fellow Granite Staters to unite in supporting Texas’ constitutional right to self-defense. Let us stand together to combat illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and human exploitation, safeguarding every community from southern Texas to northern New Hampshire.”

But Joyce Craig, one of the Democrats running for governor, was critical of the Republican candidates who supported Sununu’s request but did not support the bipartisan federal border deal.

That proposal, she said, would add additional border security agents and give law enforcement tools to secure the border and prevent fentanyl from coming into the country.

“We need to take action on border security, and we need leaders who have the backbone to deliver real solutions to secure our border, prevent the trafficking of dangerous drugs like fentanyl, and provide a pathway for individuals seeking asylum,” the former mayor of Manchester said. “Kelly Ayotte and Chuck Morse caved to Donald Trump and opposed a bipartisan bill to secure our nation’s borders and fund 1,500 additional border security agents, and now they want New Hampshire taxpayers to foot the bill. I will always work to keep our communities safe and will never play politics with our nation’s security.”

Jon Kiper, a Seacoast restaurateur who is also running for the Democrat’s nomination, said Republicans seemed “hellbent on coming up with increasingly creative ways to flush NH taxpayer dollars down the toilet, all in the hopes of scoring another point in the culture wars.” He, too, was critical of Republicans who refused to support the bipartisan federal deal.

“I wish they’d focus on real problems affecting real Granite Staters, like the 0.6% vacancy rate, skyrocketing rent and housing costs, and growing homelessness,” Kiper said.

Cinde Warmington, another Democrat running, who is the current District 2 executive councilor, did not respond to a request for comment.

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