Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the North Dakota National Guard's (NDNG) 1st Battalion, 112th Aviation Regiment for their year-long deployment along the southwest border. The battalion was deployed under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North to provide aviation support.

Hoeven had visited the 1-112th in El Paso, Texas in October 2022, as part of his efforts to support their work and raise awareness about the crisis along the southern border. This was the battalion's third deployment, following missions in Bosnia and Kosovo.

"The National Guard represents the finest men and women in our country, and their work each day to protect our nation deserves our recognition and gratitude," said Hoeven. "The U.S. is facing an unprecedented crisis at the southern border, and we deeply appreciate the members of the 1-112th battalion, as well as their families, for their sacrifices over the past year to support CBP's operations. Border security is national security, and our Guard members have our thanks for their ongoing contributions to this critical mission."

The southern border continues to experience record numbers of illegal crossings. In December 2023, CBP reported 302,034 illegal crossings, the highest monthly total ever recorded. The annual numbers have also seen significant increases, with 785,422 illegal encounters to date in fiscal year 2024, 2.475 million in FY2023, 2.378 million in FY2022, and 1.734 million in FY2021.

In addition to his visit to El Paso, Hoeven has met with North Dakota National Guard members in Del Rio and Eagle Pass, Texas to highlight their mission in support of CBP operations. He has also reviewed border operations in the Rio Grande Valley and Brownsville, Texas, and traveled with a bipartisan congressional delegation to Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, and Guatemala to emphasize the need for cooperation in addressing illegal immigration and preventing human and drug trafficking.

To address the crisis and combat cartels from trafficking people and drugs into the U.S., Hoeven is urging the Biden administration to prioritize the following measures:

- [Quotation] "The U.S. is facing an unprecedented crisis at the southern border, and we deeply appreciate the members of the 1-112th battalion, as well as their families, for their sacrifices over the past year to support CBP's operations." - Senator John Hoeven

- [Quotation] "Border security is national security, and our Guard members have our thanks for their ongoing contributions to this critical mission." - Senator John Hoeven