Faced with an either/or choice, Gov. Jerry Brown chose a smarter third option to de-escalate a feud between California and the federal government over immigration: He will send National Guard members to the southern border--but with restrictions.
In so doing, Brown likely appeased President Donald Trump in a way that could seem reasonable to groups like the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board, which urged Brown to reject Trump's deployment request.
When Trump first asked four Southwestern U.S. governors to deploy 2,000 to 4,000 troops to a border he sees only as porous, the governors of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas committed 1,600 National Guard members. But Brown was more circumspect. He deferred questions to the California National Guard, which in turn rightly asked important questions about "funding, duration and end state."
On Wednesday, Brown said he would accept federal funding for the support operations of 400 Guard members statewide targeting "transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers" but not to enforce federal immigration laws or build a new wall. Troop locations will be dictated by "needs on the ground," a Brown spokesman said. Troop actions will be handled thoughtfully. On such an emotional issue, that's welcome.
Editorial on 04/15/2018