Gov. Burgum & ND adjutant general observe Nat’l Guard’s mission on U.S.-Mexico border
NEAR THE RIO GRANDE, TEXAS (KVRR) – North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and North Dakota National Guard adjutant general Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann met with 125 soldiers from the Bismarck-based 957th Engineer Company serving along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
The two saw how their mission is going and thanking them for helping U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The unit was deployed in October at the Army’s request to continue a southwest border mission beginning in 2018. They’re expected to be on duty for one year.
Burgum’s office says the governor and Dohrmann received briefings from CBP and guard officials to understand how many undocumented immigrants are making their way into the United States.
The governor’s office says in the two months the 957th has been at the border, troops have helped CPB apprehend 30,000 migrants. For the year ending Sept. 30, CBP officials recorded nearly 260,000 encounters with migrants attempting to cross the border illegally compared with 40,000 the previous year in the 957th’s operating sector.
Burgum is among 26 Republican governors who sent President Biden a letter in September requesting a meeting with him to discuss border policy. The request has not been granted.
“These highly trained North Dakota National Guard soldiers are serving a critically important role in support of U.S. border security efforts along the southwest border. From the southwest border to our shared northern border with Canada, border security affects every state in the nation, from ensuring the safe and efficient flow of goods and services to stopping illegal immigration and drug and human trafficking. We’re deeply grateful to our North Dakota soldiers for doing their part with courage and professionalism to support the efforts to end the humanitarian crisis and secure the southwest border,” Burgum said.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the professionalism I saw within our soldiers during the visit down here. I also gained a greater appreciation for the enormous challenge that Customs and Border Protection is facing down here, and really gained an appreciation for the work they do, the professionalism of that organization. I’m proud and humbled that the North Dakota National Guard can be part of the solution,” Dohrmann said.
