Bismarck, N.D. – According to the state officials, the executive order provides official authorization to deploy approximately 100 North Dakota National Guard members from the Wahpeton-based 188th Engineer Company in support of Operation Lone Star.
State officials also said that the planned deployment was first announced by Burgum on June 1.
Gov. Burgum authorized the deployment in response to an Emergency Management Assistance Compact request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for National Guard and law enforcement to help secure the border.
Abbott also sent a letter in May asking for states to send available resources to combat illegal activity at the border and ensure the safety and security of all Americans in the absence of action by the Biden administration to address the border crisis.
The executive order declaring a statewide emergency notes that North Dakota has a long history of assisting other states in their time of need and that there is a risk to public safety due to drug trafficking, including deadly fentanyl making its way across the southern border and into U.S. communities, and the increased risk of human trafficking.
The deployment is expected to last approximately 30 days and end in August. To cover the cost, the Office of the Adjutant General is requesting increased spending authority of $2.2 million through the North Dakota Emergency Commission.
