Gov. Kay Ivey announced her decision to join the American Governors’ Border Strike Force. The Governors’ Border Strike Force is modeled on the Arizona Border Strike Force—a group that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey claims has seized 985 pounds of fentanyl, 13,100 pounds of methamphetamine, 1,704 pounds of cocaine, and 801 pounds of heroin since being formed in 2015. The group says it will help secure the border by “sharing intelligence” and “strengthening cybersecurity.”
“With the crisis on our Southern Border escalating by the day, and the total absence of leadership coming from the Biden-Harris Administration, forming this strike force is paramount in protecting our national security,” stated Ivey. “Last year, illegal border crossings surged to a 20-year high, which also means we have dangerous drugs flowing into our country. Here in Alabama, we’re going to enforce the law, and I’m proud to join my fellow governors on this mission to protect our states and nation. We will continue doing all we can here in Alabama to protect our border and our citizens.”
“What we’re doing in Arizona works,” Gov. Ducey stated. “But this is not just an Arizona issue, it’s a national issue. If our entire southern border isn’t secure, our nation isn’t secure. As dangerous transnational criminal organizations continue to profit from holes in the border and fill our communities with drugs, it’s no coincidence that we’re seeing historic levels of opioid-related deaths.”
“The American Governors’ Border Strike Force will serve as a force multiplier in the fight against criminal activity directly tied to our border,” he continued. “My thanks to my fellow governors who saw the problem and chose to be part of the solution.”
In 2021, Ivey sent active-duty Alabama National Guard troops and equipment to the southern border. She also signed an agreement with the Trump Administration to fight illegal immigration and has worked to keep Alabama from being a sanctuary state.
The Governors’ Border Strike Force will coordinate states’ efforts to do the following:
Partner at the state fusion center level to disrupt and dismantle cartels:
• Share criminal justice information to improve investigations in the border region and nationwide, especially
in communities adjacent to or crossing state boundaries.
• Coordinate and improve interdiction on interstates to combat drug trafficking and human smuggling.
• Co-locate intelligence analysts in border states to improve collaboration, real time response, intelligence
sharing, and analysis connected to border security.
• Assist border states with supplemental staff and resources at state fusion centers, such as on rotation
assignments, to share information obtained both on the border and in other states.
• Send law enforcement to train in border states to detect, track, and curb border-related crime.
States who have joined the American Governors’ Border Strike Force include Alabama, Arizona, Texas, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
