Kate Brown: National Guard to Border? Not From Oregon, Gov Says

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown tweeted Wednesday that she would refuse to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border if asked to do so by the president, with the Democrat adding she was “deeply troubled by Trump’s plan to militarize” the border. 

If @realDonaldTrump asks me to deploy Oregon Guard troops to the Mexico border, I’ll say no. As Commander of Oregon’s Guard, I’m deeply troubled by Trump’s plan to militarize our border.

— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 4, 2018

Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday under Title 32 directing National Guard troops to the border to combat a “surge of illegal activity” after it came to the public’s attention that a caravan of 1,000 people were traveling across Mexico toward the U.S. border from Honduras.

Oregon is 1,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, and there has not been any direct communication by Trump’s administration about sending troops to the border, The Hill reported.

Title 32 does not allow Trump to directly order any National Guard troops to the border, but authorizes him to request that states do so. States may ignore or refuse his request.

Former U.S. presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush both used Title 32 during their presidencies to send National Guard forces to the border. When Bush did so, then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger refused the request. 

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott welcomed Trump’s action and said he has been deploying National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border since he took office.

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