Clay County legislators respond to Gov. Holcomb deploying Indiana National Guard for Texas border security mission

State Rep. Bob Heaton (R-Terre Haute) and Alan Morrison (R-Brazil) issued the following statements in response to Gov. Eric Holcomb's decision to deploy the Indiana National Guard to support the ongoing border security mission in Texas. Following the recent direct request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Holcomb announced he will send 50 Hoosier guardsmen to help the Texas National Guard during a 10-month deployment:

STATEHOUSE (Feb. 9, 2024) –

"The southern border has descended into chaos as we've recently seen the highest number of illegal crossings on record, and leadership in our nation's capital continues to fail us. I support the governor's decision to send Hoosier guardsmen to Texas to help secure the border because this crisis' effects are widespread and long-lasting," said State Rep. Bob Heaton (R-Terre Haute).

"Deadly drugs, criminals and illegal migrants pouring in through the U.S.-Mexico border present a tremendous threat to Texas and the rest of the nation. This is a crisis that affects us all, with no end in sight as the Biden Administration chooses not to enforce the laws on the books or take any meaningful action. I back our governor's decision to deploy our hardworking guardsmen to Texas, which needs a lifeline right now," said State Rep. Alan Morrison (R-Brazil).

Background: In January, State Reps. Bob Heaton (R-Terre Haute) and Alan Morrison (R-Brazil) signed onto a joint letter, along with many of their House colleagues, calling on Gov. Eric Holcomb to send Indiana guardsmen to support the Texas border security mission.

PRESS RELEASE: Gov. Holcomb directs Indiana National Guard to support Texas border security mission

INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced today that effective immediately he is deploying the Indiana National Guard to support the ongoing border security mission in Texas. Gov. Holcomb joined 13 other governors at the U.S. – Mexico border in Texas earlier this week to receive a detailed briefing from the front lines.

“Federal negligence enforcing immigration law and the failure to secure our country’s border jeopardizes national and economic security, affecting every state, including Indiana,” Gov. Holcomb said. “We’ve worked too hard in Indiana attacking the drug epidemic for more Hoosier lives to be put at risk by a constant supply of killer drugs spilled over an open U.S. border. The only way to resolve this is to stop the historically high flow of illegal immigrants crossing the border.”

Following the recent direct request from Governor Greg Abbott, Gov. Holcomb is sending 50 Hoosier Guardsmen to the southern border to support the Texas National Guard on their security mission. These soldiers will begin mobilizing for the mission immediately and will arrive in Texas in mid-March. The soldiers being deployed will spend one week at Camp Atterbury for training on the operations of the mission and will then deploy to Texas for ten months.

“Whatever the mission – whether it’s supporting a Hoosier community in the face of natural disaster, standing with our allies or against our adversaries overseas, or protecting the border – the soldiers and airmen of the Indiana National Guard are uniquely trained, equipped and capable of mobilizing whenever and wherever we’re called,” said Major General Dale Lyles, the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard. “We stand ready to support the Texas National Guard in securing the southern border.”

The Indiana National Guard has a long history of supporting the mission to secure the southern border. From October of 2020 to October 2023, 300 Indiana Guardsmen and women have served 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 Muscatatuck Urban Training Center and Air National Guard wings in Fort Wayne and Terre Haute.