Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she will deploy 10 Iowa State Patrol officers and over 100 Iowa National Guardsmen to the U.S.-Mexico border to continue support for Operation Lone Star. 

This will be Reynolds’ fourth deployment of Iowa State Patrol Officers and Iowa National Guardsmen to the southern border as part of Operation Lone Star since 2021.

Reynolds’ announcement comes as political tension over the southern U.S. border is at an all-time high. With record-high border crossings and bipartisan immigration deals dissolving, states like Iowa and Texas have passed laws that make illegal re-entry a federal crime. While the legislation was passed by both the Iowa House and Senate, Iowa’s bill has yet to be signed into law and awaits Reynolds’ signature. 

The Texas law has been challenged in court by the Biden administration, which argues that immigration enforcement falls strictly under the federal government’s jurisdiction. 

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the law to stand and later injuncted the law after a federal appeals court let an earlier injunction stand. 

“President Biden and his Administration have failed to protect the sovereignty of our borders and the safety of the American people,” Reynolds said in a news release. “What Texas faces is nothing short of an invasion with historic levels of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs entering our country. Now, every state is a border state, and with that comes a duty to protect the people of Iowa.” 

The governor will send eight state troopers and two sergeants to the border starting March 31 and lasting 28 days. 

The governor will also send 110 Iowa National Guardsmen to support the Texas Military Department in keeping the border secure on April 1 for a 33-day employment. 

RELATED: Reynolds announces plan to send more Iowa National Guardsmen to U.S.-Mexico border

Another five Iowa National Guard personnel will be deployed on April 1 for a 124-day deployment ending on Sept. 30 for vehicle maintenance and public affairs support. 

“These deployments will help Texas on the frontlines of this crisis,” Reynolds said in a news release Thursday. “I am grateful to all the members of the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Iowa National Guard for volunteering for the deployment. It’s a testament to their leadership and willingness to serve.” 

The governor will use leftover state American Rescue Plan Act dollars to fund the mission.