Guard to Assist DPS and Local Law Enforcement Along Southern Border

Phoenix, AZ – One week after her letter to President Biden asking him to reassign the Arizona National Guard to re-open the Lukeville Port of Entry, Governor Katie Hobbs signed an Executive Order to carry out the next step in Operation SECURE, mobilizing the National Guard to southern Arizona. There, they will assist the Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies with enforcement activities, including fentanyl interdiction, analytical support, and human trafficking enforcement efforts. 

“Yet again, the federal government is refusing to do its job to secure our border and keep our communities safe,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “With this Executive Order, I am taking action where the federal government won’t. But we can’t stand alone, Arizona needs resources and manpower to reopen the Lukeville crossing, manage the flow of migrants, and maintain a secure, orderly and humane border. Despite continued requests for assistance, the Biden administration has refused to deliver desperately needed resources to Arizona’s border.”

The National Guard members will be stationed at multiple locations along the southern border, including near both the Lukeville Port of Entry and the San Miguel crossing.

Additionally, the Biden administration has failed to respond to Governor Hobbs’ request for reimbursement for border security spending.

Read Governor Hobbs’ Executive Order below.