Gov. McMaster sending SC National Guard troops to southern border

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – Governor Henry McMaster has directed the South Carolina National Guard to deploy troops to the U.S. southern border.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Gov. McMaster said the troops will travel to Texas, at the request of Governor Greg Abbott, to “hold the line” on the southern border.

“The safety and security of South Carolinians require that we stop the drug cartels, criminals, and terrorists from entering our country to peddle their poison,” the governor said.

Abbott sent letters to governors across the country earlier this month calling for help supporting what he called Texas’ unprecedented border security efforts after the end of Title 42.

“We, as Governors, must band together to combat President Biden’s ongoing border crisis and ensure the safety and security that all Americans deserve,” Gov. Abbott said in his letter. “The Emergency Management Assistance Compact empowers states to provide assistance to one another in times of disaster or emergency, both of which accurately describe the current border crisis.”

According to McMaster’s office, the mission remains in the planning phase, and exact details, including the number of troops, will be finalized in the coming weeks with the goal of deployment by July 1. 

Gov. McMaster traveled to El Paso, Texas back for a two-day trip in April 2021 to visit South Carolina National Guard soldiers who were stationed at the U.S.-Mexico border.