Indiana is sending National Guard members to the southern border to help with a request from Texas, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) announced Friday. “I am sending 50 #Hoosier Guardsmen to the southe…

This article covers upcoming deployment.

I haven’t come across overall Indiana sentiment on this yet

There are many things I’m unhappy about in this matter:

  • Deployment of Indiana guard for something the federal government should be doing.
  • Putting Indiana citizen soldiers in a very difficult position: having to deal with immigration policies in actual practice, political shenanigans, dealing with humanitarian issues when the primary mission isn’t saving lives. We are good at war and helping save lives, anything else is asking for trouble.
  • Combining immigration policy with border protection. I don’t like that they aren’t separate. I feel like it’s all political games, but someone convince me that we can’t control borders without barring all immigration.
  • Crazy talk about federalizing a state’s national guard.
  • Crazy talk about States and federal government clashing to the point of escalation. I don’t think cool heads and reason win the day anymore. I feel like the populous seems willing to support more extreme measures these days
  • Separation of service members from their families

On one positive side, this will give 50 service members and their families a first hand view of a major topic instead of hearing it from the news.

  • @MSgtRedFox@infosec.pubOPEnglish
    -2•5 months ago

    I see a lot of comments conveyed unhappiness with Indiana governor and Republicans in general.

    Any opinions?:

    • What should be done about the border security?

    • Is the threat of drug smuggling from across the border real or made up?

    • What should we do about fentanyl issues? I’m not interested/care about weed. It will be available soon/someday, just a matter of time.

    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world @Alto@kbin.social @Fedizen@lemmy.world @Gingerlegs@lemmy.world @the_q@lemmy.world @NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world @iamanurd@midwest.social @ScottStarkey@hoosier.social @givesomefucks@lemmy.world @happybadger@hexbear.net

    • @Fedizen@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10•5 months ago

      Fentanyl comes through regular entry points not remote wilderness (though the border wall access roads have made remote drops easier)

      If we were serious about drugs we’d offer mexico incentives to dismantle the cartels, legalize weed, and offer more clinical support for addicts to reduce demand.

      We have tons of border guards, more than enough. Its important to be clear republicans are the most upset about legal refugees and conflate them with “illegals” as indicated by their media constantly portraying bussing of legal refugees as though they aren’t legal. More immigration courts are a must.

      • @MSgtRedFox@infosec.pubOPEnglish
        0•5 months ago

        Its important to be clear republicans are the most upset about legal refugees and conflate them with “illegals” as indicated by their media constantly portraying bussing of legal refugees as though they aren’t legal. More immigration courts are a must.

        I’m curious about more of this? Like the Afghans we brought over? Or are you talking about making it harder to receive asylum?

    • Flying SquidEnglish
      6•5 months ago

      What should be done about the border security?

      We have a border patrol. We can give them more money like Biden wanted. We also have immigration courts. We can give them more money Biden wanted.

      Is there drug smuggling across the border? Sure. Do we have an expensive and pointless drug war? Yes. Maybe that should be the drug issue we concern ourselves with at the moment.

      And fentanyl? Not an illegal border crossing issue. Most of it is brought in by U.S. citizens crossing the border legally. https://www.npr.org/2023/08/09/1191638114/fentanyl-smuggling-migrants-mexico-border-drugs

      • @MSgtRedFox@infosec.pubOPEnglish
        0•5 months ago

        And fentanyl? Not an illegal border crossing issue. Most of it is brought in by U.S. citizens crossing the border legally.

        This is dominantly why I hesitate to keep border security and immigration as the same issue in my mind. I know politicians will keep them together, but I don’t think border security should be ‘keeping out the illegals’, I think it should be controlling everything/one coming in/out as best as possible. We also have a hard time finding contraband in shipping containers.

        There’s some pretty big fentanyl operations in China that keep the pipelines supplied. I wish we could get that a little more under control.

    • @funkless_eck@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2•5 months ago

      Isn’t the “security” issue not really “immigrants are crossing” but “so many of them are vulnerable children we don’t have the infrastructure to treat safely and humanely?”

      Isn’t that the exact reason why Obama declared the crisis in 2014, and why Trumps reaction to it was so derided?

      It has very little to do with adult immigration and/or drugs.