Pennsylvania caught in border battle, senator says money better spent tackling gun violence locally

HARRISBURG, Pa. — More than a dozen states have already sent National Guard members and supplies to help secure the southern border.

But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday he won’t be sending guard members, despite calls from the Republican-controlled state Senate to send help to Texas.

“We got a real challenge on our border. We got a real challenge in our immigration system and it needs to be addressed,” said Shapiro.

Shapiro said that he agrees that something needs to be done to address the border crisis, but he said that does not include sending in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

“The last thing in the world I’m going to do is put the brave women and men of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s lives at risk to be part of some political squabble at the border that Governor (Greg) Abbott (of Texas) has created,” said Shapiro.

“It is a fact indeed that every state is a border state and Pennsylvania has a compelling interest to help secure the southern border of the United States,” said Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Republican from Chambersburg, who ran for Governor and lost to Shapiro.

On Tuesday, the state senate passed a resolution along party lines calling on Governor Shapiro to send the National Guard to the Texas border with Mexico to stop illegal immigration and the influx of deadly drugs, like fentanyl.

“The illegal drugs that are coming across this border are impacting Pennsylvania families,” said Michele Brooks, a Republican Senator from Greenville.

But during that debate, Sen. Jay Costa, a Democrat from Allegheny County, suggested the money would be better spent elsewhere.

“Gun violence in the city of Pittsburgh, other types of violence across this commonwealth,” said Costa.

At that news conference in Pittsburgh with the Governor, we asked Senator Costa about his comments earlier this week.

Earle: You mentioned gun violence in Pittsburgh.  Do you think there’s a problem,  an issue with that?

Costa: Well, I think we have to take steps to continue to address it…That’s what we should be doing, providing the tools as it relates to legislation to be able to do that as well, is what should be done, not grandstanding or politicizing an issue with respect to the border.

Both Costa and Shapiro claim the bi-partisan immigration bill that congressional Republicans shot down last month was the best solution to the border crisis.

It included money to build more barriers, expand detention facilities and hire more border patrol agents.

Republicans, meanwhile, said the border crisis will be decided at the ballot box in the upcoming presidential election.

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