GOP-led states have pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions of dollars to help Texas secure the border this year

A soldier with the South Dakota National Guard stands near the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass in September 2023. (Credit: Justin Hamel)

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This article was reported and written in collaboration with States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, and Stateline, a States Newsroom outlet covering trends in state policy. Read the second part of this report here.