Gov. Sununu sends New Hampshire National Guard to U.S.-Mexico border for surveillance

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, is deploying two units of the state’s National Guard to the southern border in response to a federal mobilization order from the Department of Defense.

“New Hampshire is grateful for the heroic men and women of our National Guard,” Sununu said in a statement on Monday. “They answered the call to serve during the COVID pandemic and are now answering our nation’s call — deploying to the ongoing humanitarian crisis along our southern border.”

“As these brave men and women deploy, New Hampshire stands by our National Guard and we wish everyone a safe and speedy return home,” he added.

About 160 soldiers will be deployed for a 1-year deployment, according to the statement. They will largely be assisting with surveillance.

"They'll be manning surveillance posts along the border that they're responsible for and that will allow the agents to focus more on the ground and dealing with people coming directly across the border," Greg Heilshorn, director of public affairs for the New Hampshire National Guard, told local WMUR 9.

However, the guards members are prohibited from being in contact with any migrants in the country illegally, a spokesperson for Sununu’s office told The Hill, adding that they are instructed to notify Customs and Border Protection of border crossings they encounter.

Sununu said the move is in response to a federal mobilization order from the Department of Defense and that New Hampshire’s soldiers will be joined by guard members from more than a dozen other states, according to WMUR.

He added that because it is a federal request, the Biden administration is paying for it.

Republicans have been highlighting the U.S.-Mexico border crisis by sending buses full of migrants to Democrat-led cities, most of which claim to be “sanctuaries” for illegal immigrants.