Gov. Reynolds joins 25 governors to form Border Strike Force 

DES MOINES — Today, Gov. Reynolds joined 25 other governors forming The American Governors’ Border Strike Force to help put an end to the crime stemming from the Southern Border.

The Border Strike Force, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), will facilitate the sharing of intelligence information across state lines to improve border enforcement. Information from criminal investigations across the nation will be shared to help combat drug trafficking, human smuggling and the prevalence of cartels and other drug organizations infiltrating the U.S. from the border.

Reynolds claims state participation in the Border Strike Force requires no taxpayer funds or enforcement personnel. Information is already routinely gathered during investigations and will be shared as classified intelligence information with other state law enforcement agencies.

The following states have joined the Border Strike Force: Arizona, Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to Iowa joining the partisan American Governors Border Strike Force, which is made up entirely of Republican Governors:

“Governor Reynolds’ decision to join the American Governors Border Strike Force is her latest effort to distract us from the workforce crisis she created in Iowa as our job growth continues to lag behind national numbers.

“Just last year, Gov. Reynolds said a surge of migrants at the border was “not our problem” and refused a request for help with unaccompanied children at the border. Then just a few months later, she put the lives of twenty seven Iowa State Troopers on the line by sending them to the southern border. That publicity stunt cost Iowa taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“By joining this Border Strike Force, Gov. Reynolds and her corporate donors are trying to divide us – by stoking fear against people based on where they come from or what they look like. Iowans need a leader who will address the issues our state is facing, increase jobs and wages and improve access to healthcare. This stunt is pure politics and ignores what Iowa families need while exploiting people in need.”