Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced the immediate deployment of the Indiana National Guard to support ongoing border security missions in Texas. Governor Holcomb joined 13 other governors at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas earlier this week and received a detailed briefing from the front lines.
“The federal government's inaction in enforcing immigration laws and failing to secure our nation's borders threatens national and economic security and impacts every state, including Indiana,” said Governor Holcomb. “We have worked too hard to fight the drug epidemic in Indiana, putting the lives of more Hoosiers at risk, but we are now at risk from the endless supply of killer drugs flowing from open U.S. borders. The only way to solve this is to stop the flow of illegal immigrants, who historically have crossed many borders.”
Following a recent direct request from Governor Greg Abbott, Governor Holcomb is sending 50 Hoosier Guardsmen to the southern border to support the Texas National Guard's security mission. These soldiers will begin mobilizing for duty immediately and are expected to arrive in Texas in mid-March. The deployed soldiers will spend a week at Camp Atterbury training on mission operations before being sent to Texas for 10 months.
“Whether the mission is to assist Hoosier communities in the face of natural disasters, combat allies or foreign adversaries, or protect our borders, Indiana National Guard and Airmen are uniquely trained, equipped and “We have the ability to: deploy whenever and wherever called upon,” said Maj. Gen. Dale Lyles, adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard. “We stand ready to support the Texas National Guard in securing our southern border.”
The Indiana National Guard has a long history of supporting missions securing the southern border. From October 2020 to October 2023, 300 Indiana National Guard members and women served on various federal missions at the southern border.
The Indiana National Guard is comprised of thousands of soldiers and airmen, Army National Guard armories and units across the state, training facilities at Camp Atterbury and Muscatuck Urban Training Center, and Air National Guard units in Fort Wayne and Terre Haute. There is.
