Governors Pull National Guard Over Immigration Policy
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (KDKA/AP) - East Coast governors from both parties are refusing to deploy National Guard resources to the U.S.-Mexico border in protest of a federal immigration policy that is separating children from their families.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said he opposes using resources to further President Donald Trump's policy.
"While PA proudly sent troops to TX, FL and Puerto Rico for disaster relief and I believe we need to protect our borders from real threats, I oppose state resources being used to further Pres. Trump's policy of separating young children from their parents," Wolf tweeted.
Some states have no more than a handful of resources committed. The move is significant politically, however.
Mileah Kromer is director of the Sarah T. Hughes field Politics Center at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. She says the action is an interesting example of governors stepping into a role of national leadership on a divisive issue.
Maryland's and Massachusetts' Republican governors say they are pulling back or won't send resources until the policy instituted by President Donald Trump's administration is rescinded. Democratic governors in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia have declared the same policy. Massachusetts and New York made their announcements Monday; the other states on Tuesday.
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