HOUSTON — Yesterday, the ACLU of Texas filed public record requests for information about the deployment of National Guard troops to the southern border to assist with immigration enforcement. Since the announcement, neither Governor Abbott nor the Trump administration has provided key details about their plans for placing troops at the border.
“Our military troops don't belong at the border,” said Andre Segura, legal director for the ACLU of Texas. “President Trump and Governor Abbott’s decision to deploy the Texas National Guard within our own communities is driven by nothing more than hyperbole and political theatrics and should set off alarm bells for all Americans. Our Texas border communities already live in one of the most heavily policed regions and the further influx of troops presents a severe danger to our constitutional rights.”
The ACLU of Texas is requesting all records relating to the deployment of the National Guard along our border, including communications and agreements between the state officials and the federal government, any training requirements, the scope of the Guard’s involvement in immigration enforcement, the number of troops deployed, and projected or actual costs of deployment.
Requests for information were sent to the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Office of the Governor of Texas, and the Texas Military Department.
