New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and his fellow Republicans have been criticized by local state newspapers for sending $850,000 and more than a dozen National Guard troops to Texas.
Last Friday, the New Hampshire Finance Commission approved Mr. Sununu’s request to approve spending $850,000 to send up to 15 National Guard troops to Eagle Pass, Texas, for up to 90 days under the direction of the Texas National Guard. did. Texas has been embroiled in a political and legal standoff with the federal government over the past year over the number of migrants crossing the border.
Earlier this month, Sununu was one of 14 Republican governors who traveled to the southern border to support Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Operation Lone Star, which aims to strengthen border security. He was also one of 25 Republican governors who signed a joint statement last month supporting Texas’ efforts to deter illegal immigration and the state’s “right to self-defense.”
Countess Jemal/Getty Images, TIME
An editorial commented on the $850,000 allocation. valley news “All of this money could be better used to address real problems in the North Country, where we typically don’t get a lot of love or funding from state governments,” the group in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, said.
The editorial continued, “We believe that fighting drug addiction, mental illness, social isolation, and lack of broadband service is more welcome than chasing stories of border threats.”
newsweek Sununu’s office was contacted for comment via email.
in him Letter of requestSununu wrote that Texas “remains in need of additional personnel and resources without federal assistance.”
“There is no security, no order, no humanity in what is happening at our southern border,” he wrote. “Fentanyl is flowing in, human trafficking continues unabated, and people on terrorist watch lists are entering the country unchecked.”
The $850,000 was approved on a 6-4 vote, with all Democrats on the committee voting “no.” Warren Perry, the state’s deputy adjutant general, said $650,000 of the approved funds will go toward benefits such as salaries, housing and meals, with the remainder going toward travel and equipment. by new hampshire breaking news.
Sen. Lou Dallesandro, one of the Democrats opposed, asked Sununu how the 15 soldiers would help Texas. He said the state would be better off benefiting from broader immigration policies that Congressional Republicans oppose.
“It’s a great idea in terms of assistance, but the real problem seems to be that Congress isn’t funding what it’s supposed to fund to protect our southern border,” D’Alessandro said.
The New Hampshire American Friends Service Committee, a group of immigrant rights groups, peace groups and faith-based leaders, criticized Sununu and other statewide Republicans.
“New Hampshire needs affordable housing, substance use treatment, mental health resources and more. And the people of the Granite State believe it is unwise to spend tax dollars on immigration enforcement and support how that money is spent.” “It is clear that this is not the case,” the commission said. News websitein the ek statement.
“Using taxpayer dollars to send the New Hampshire National Guard to Texas is for the sole purpose of scoring political points and does nothing to improve the quality of life in New Hampshire.” No. Funding atrocities at the border is not representative of our state.”
On January 31, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire (ACLU) reported that in the 15-month period between October 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023, Border Patrol agents made an arrest or encountered an incident at the New Hampshire-Canada border. It was announced that there were only 21 cases.
The data shows only one encounter with a migrant in New Hampshire between October 2022 and January 2023, and after a settlement following a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the ACLU offered.
reacher newsweekThere was no additional comment from the ACLU.
Sununu and Republicans in the Legislature previously allocated $1.4 million to address what they called a law enforcement “crisis” and expanded the police and surveillance presence in the northern part of the state.
However, Sununu and other New Hampshire officials denounced the ACLU’s findings.
“Securing our northern border is widely supported by people across New Hampshire, and selective data from the ACLU will in no way affect New Hampshire’s obligation to protect our citizens,” Sununu said in a statement. Ta. “This crisis is local, so focusing on state-specific data is short-sighted and misleading.”
More than 12,200 people were arrested for illegally entering the United States from Canada last year, a 241% increase from 3,578 arrests the year before, according to reports. of new york times. The majority of the travel involves Mexicans, who do not need visas to fly to Canada.
The states hardest hit by this surge are New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, all in an area known as the Swanton region, which will account for nearly 70% of illegal immigration in 2023.
New Hampshire has 93 miles of the 445-mile Swanton Sector.
rare knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.
