No Agreement Yet Between California, Defense Department On Terms For National Guard Deployment

Despite word last week from Gov. Jerry Brown that California is willing to deploy its National Guard to the border — and elsewhere in the state — to combat transnational crime, the Trump administration said Monday the terms of California’s deployment are still under negotiation.

The Defense Department said Monday the Trump and Brown administrations have not yet reached agreement on the terms of the California National Guard’s deployment — and that negotiations continue.

Texas, Arizona and New Mexico have already agreed to the Trump administration’s request for National Guard support. Those states’ troops will allow the Border Patrol to devote more resources to law enforcement by participating in activities such as aviation support, monitoring surveillance video and clearing brush.

The Brown administration said Monday it’s waiting for the federal government to sign the Memorandum of Agreement that California submitted last week.

Brown could make his first public comments on the potential deployment to the Mexican border Tuesday morning when he addresses the National Press Club in Washington.

He’s stayed quiet on the subject other than to issue a letter accompanying California’s offer to deploy the National Guard to combat transnational crime – but not participate in any immigration enforcement.