Mass. GOP governor suspends National Guard deployment to border over family separations

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) on Monday reportedly canceled the deployment of his state’s National Guard troops to the border in protest of President Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy that separates families.

“Governor Baker directed the National Guard not to send any assets or personnel to the Southwest border today because the federal government’s current actions are resulting in the inhumane treatment of children,” Baker’s communications director, Lizzy Guyton, said in a statement, according to WGBH. 

{mosads}The announcement comes after state officials said in early June that Massachusetts National Guard troops would head to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist with security operations following Trump’s call for deployments. They were expected to arrive at the end of the month. 

But, Baker, who told Boston Public Radio in May that he had a “huge problem” with the Trump administration’s separation policy, suspended that deployment on Monday.

WGBH reports that Baker invoked the statute of a U.S. law known as “Title 32.” It allows governors to examine requests for National Guard troops and gives them them the authority to deploy them under their own determination. 

Baker’s decision comes as many Democratic and Republican lawmakers voice outrage over the policy that instructs the Department of Homeland Security to separate any child crossing the border between ports of entry with adults before those adults are prosecuted. 

Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) on Sunday accused Trump of betraying “American values” with his policy.

But Trump has adamantly defended it, and on Monday said the U.S. would not become a “migrant camp.” 

The Associate Press reported on Friday that nearly 2,000 children were separated from their parents from mid-April to the end of May.