Update: National Guard Will Be Deployed In California

Update at 6:30 p.m.: President Donald Trump is reacting to Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to accept additional federal funds to deploy National Guard troops in California. A spokeswoman for the President says he welcomed the decision by Brown to deploy 400 troops for a presidential request aimed at fighting illegal immigration. However, a letter sent to federal officials by Brown noted that troops will not be used to build a new wall, round up people for detention or enforce federal immigration laws. Read the Governors entire letter below.

Original post at 1:30 p.m.: Sacramento, CA – Governor Jerry Brown today responded to the federal government’s request for an additional 400 California National Guard troops, but not without certain stipulations.

In a letter to federal officials, Brown accepted the aid stating, “Your funding for new staffing will allow the Guard to do what it does best:  support operations targeting transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers along the border, the coast and throughout the state. Combating these criminal threats are priorities for all Americans – Republicans and Democrats.” He added those were the same reasons he agreed to similar targeted assistance from President Bush and Obama in past years.

The Governor made sure to add these conditions, “But let’s be crystal clear on the scope of this mission. This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws.”

Brown qualified those requirements noting that there is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California. He further clarified that  overall immigrant apprehensions on the border last year were as low as they’ve been in nearly 50 years with 85 percent of those detained taking place outside of California. The Governor’s entire letter can be viewed by clicking here.