Ohio makes it six states sending military and police to respond to Biden border crisis

Ohio will send National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border to help federal and local law enforcement respond to sustained high levels of illegal immigration.

The announcement over the weekend from Republican Gov. Mike DeWine makes it the sixth state that has volunteered its police officers or National Guard following a request from Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona in June. All six volunteering states have Republican governors.

Ohio will send 185 members of its Army National Guard to the southern border, joining the ranks of Arkansas and South Dakota, which each opted to send Guard members instead of law enforcement.

Florida was the first state to send its police officers from a dozen departments statewide to help their counterparts in border states. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the prevalence of fentanyl in the northern part of the state had risen since January as the result of more coming into the United State from Mexico.

"You have a governor who is saying we'll step up to protect Floridians. This is what real leadership looks like. Leadership is not sending someone down there to beg people not to come," Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said at the press conference, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris's previous statements telling migrants not to travel to the border. "When you have chaos versus order, crime versus safety, you develop strategic enforcement actions, and you bring peace and protection to your people. That's what a leader does.”