King to states: Deploy National Guard

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), one of the GOP’s most vocal opponents of immigration reform, introduced a resolution Friday urging governors of border states to deploy their National Guard units.

“There is nothing in President Obama’s $3.7 billion request that secures our border,” King said in a statement. “Even though this president has the power to close the border, I know that he never will.”

{mosads}King’s resolution “commits to appropriating the necessary monies to effectively support any such deployment of units of National Guard.” It does not set any specific dollar figure.

King said funding for the border state governors should be the only extra federal dollars set aside to deal with the surge at the border.

He blamed the president for the surge in child migrants crossing into the country. The Iowa Republican pointed to Obama’s use of executive action to delay deportations of immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children.

“The American people must understand that this surge in illegals coming across our border is a presidential-caused crisis,” King said.

King said the threat of deportations would deter more immigrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Right now there is an incentive for illegals to continue to pour across our border, and the only way to discourage them is to seal our border and send them back,” King said.

Twenty-six fellow House Republicans have signed on as co-sponsors of King’s resolution. They include Reps. Michele Bachmann (Minn.), John Fleming (La.), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Walter Jones (N.C.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Randy Weber (Texas) and Ted Yoho (Fla.).

King is known for his controversial remarks about immigrants, such as suggesting many young immigrants were drug mules.