Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33)
Amid an escalating crisis at the southern border, Pennsylvania has an opportunity to act decisively. Last summer, the Pennsylvania State Senate passed Senate Resolution 251, calling for the PA National Guard to deploy to Texas to assist with border security. While securing our borders and protecting Pennsylvanians from human trafficking, crime and fentanyl should be a bipartisan priority, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senate Democrats dismissed this resolution as “political theater.”
But the facts tell a different story.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, more than seven million illegal immigrants have crossed the southern border since January 2021, with the majority entering through Texas. To put that into perspective, that’s more than the total population of at least 22 individual states.
In 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star. The operation deployed the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to the southern border to detect and repel illegal crossings, arrest human smugglers and seize deadly drugs like fentanyl.
This effort produced remarkable results. More than 500,000 illegals have been apprehended, 468 million lethal doses of fentanyl were seized, and more than 40,000 criminal arrests were made.
Gov. Abbott also called on other states to support Operation Lone Star through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, enabling states to share resources during emergencies. Sixteen states, including Arkansas, Florida and Ohio, responded by deploying their National Guard to assist.
Pennsylvania must act now.
Every state is now a border state. The effects of an unsecured southern border are felt far beyond Texas. For Pennsylvania, the crisis is clear.
Top of the list is the fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl trafficked across the southern border has devastated communities throughout Pennsylvania. In 2022 alone, more than 5,000 Pennsylvanians lost their lives to fentanyl poisoning.
There’s also a tremendous burden to taxpayers. A 2023 report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform estimated that 251,000 illegals reside in Pennsylvania, costing taxpayers more than $1.6 billion annually – an average of $318 per household.
While taxpayers are paying for people who aren’t even from our country, the people receiving generous assistance are a serious public safety threat.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, 15,000 illegals were convicted of crimes in 2023. They committed 3,000 violent crimes and 300 sex crimes.
Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray warned the Senate Intelligence Committee in March 2023 of human smuggling networks with ties to ISIS operating at the southern border. Wray expressed grave concerns that such activities could lead to a terrorist attack comparable to 9/11.
President Donald Trump recognized the need for border security and took action. Since his inauguration earlier this month, he has taken significant steps to secure the southwest border.
First, the administration restarted construction on the border wall, focusing on areas with high illegal crossing rates, including critical stretches in Arizona, Texas and California.
President Trump also increased the hiring of Border Patrol agents, providing additional manpower to secure vulnerable areas and intercept traffickers.
The administration implemented enhanced technology. It has deployed advanced surveillance technologies, including drones, cameras and sensor systems, to improve the detection of illegal crossings and smuggling operations.
Declaring Mexican drug cartels to be foreign terrorist organizations enables stricter penalties for those aiding their operations and expands resources for dismantling their networks.
President Trump also initiated a stronger collaboration with states. He partnered with states like Texas to expand Operation Lone Star, bolstering border security through combined state and federal efforts.
We need that same leadership from elected officials here in Pennsylvania.
Gov. Shapiro expressed his willingness to work with President Trump on issues of mutual concern. This is the perfect opportunity for him to show leadership by deploying the Pennsylvania National Guard to support border security.
More than 276 years ago, Benjamin Franklin founded the PA National Guard to protect Pennsylvanians in times of crisis. The lawlessness at the southern border and its far-reaching impacts on our state constitute such a crisis. This would not be unprecedented.
In 2007, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell authorized the deployment of 500 PA National Guard troops to the border as part of President George W. Bush’s bipartisan Operation Jump Start.
Securing our border is not a partisan issue – it is a mission to save lives and protect Pennsylvania’s families from the devastating effects of fentanyl, human trafficking and violent crime. Dismissing this as “political theater” insults the thousands of Pennsylvanians who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning and the taxpayers footing the bill for unchecked illegal immigration.
Gov. Shapiro, this is your moment to lead. Deploying the PA National Guard to assist at the southern border is a vital step in protecting Pennsylvanians and contributing to the security of our nation.
Sen. Doug Mastriano represents the 33rd Senatorial District, covering all of Adams and Franklin counties.