ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday afternoon he will send more Georgia National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas this spring.
Gov. Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp were joined by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Speaker of the House Jon Burns, and other state leaders for the border security announcement.
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During a press conference, the governor cited concerns and the growing stress of social services as a result of the number of new people arriving at the border from other countries.
Roughly 15 to 20 Georgia National Guard troops will be sent to assist with the construction of a command post at the border.
"This group of well-trained soldiers will include those with engineering, mechanical and general purpose skills," Kemp said. "Their contributions will be outlined by the official request made by the Texas guard to our own guard and Director (James) Stallings at GEMA."
Stallings said the main focus will be sending engineers to provide support while Texas authorities apprehend people believed to be crossing the border illegally.
Galeo Impact Fund CEO Jerry Gonzalez said the move will have negative impacts on Georgians, including new arrivals.
"He (Kemp) should make sure that the resources stay here in Georgia for what we may need them for. He should work on Georgia's priorities. And not be playing politics with something that's really important to our state," Gonzalez said. "It is dangerous that the governor is playing this game. And... we hope that this will not cause violence in our state."
Gov. Kemp said he supports legal immigration but maintained Georgia needs to send support. Since 2019, the Georgia National Guard has been present at the border.
"To be clear, the crisis on the border is a national problem, and it demands a national solution," Kemp said. "This is not a partisan issue, this is a public safety and humanitarian crisis caused by Joe Biden's failure to act. The crisis is ruining lives, families and whole communities overrun by the challenges it brings."
Re-watch Gov. Kemp's speech in the video below.
On Monday, the Georgia Senate voted 31-15 for a resolution "supporting increased protections for America's borders." The Georgia House also passed a similar border resolution on Tuesday.
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