INDIANAPOLIS (INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) — The Indiana National Guard has started a second deployment to the southern border — this time for 12 months and costing an estimated $9 million. The first deployment ended in late February, and a new group of 50 soldiers headed out shortly after, said Lauren Houck, chief communications officer for the Indiana National Guard. This continues Indiana’s commitment to aid Operation Lone Star — a move by Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott to close off his state’s share of the U.S.-Mexico border. Former Gov. Eric Holcomb first authorized a 10-month deployment last year, saying then-President Joe Biden’s administration wasn’t doing enough to stem the flow of unauthorized migrants. Since then, the number of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border illegally plunged to a level not seen in at least 25 years, CBS News reported March 3. Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded about 8,450 apprehensions of migrants who crossed into the country unlawfully between official entry points along the U.S.-Mexico border, statistics show. On some days under the Biden administration, federal officials recorded more than 8,000 apprehensions in a single day. Houck said the original deployment cost the state about $8 million — higher than the $7 million projected for pay and allowances, accommodations, transportation, supplies and maintenance. The new deployment will last a full year and is estimated to cost $9 million. Houck noted that “the soldiers on this mission volunteered … there were more soldiers who wanted to volunteer for this mission than we had spaces for.” In late January, Gov. Mike Braun was asked about whether Indiana’s presence would continue. He said then that he intended to keep the guard in Texas though he was hopeful that President Donald Trump’s administration would take action at the southern border, thus minimizing the need for the Indiana guard’s presence. “Let’s see what kind of progress they make. … Let’s see what happens in D.C. — if we actually get resources to secure the border, in a way that really secures it. And for the northern border, as well,” Braun said. “Then, I think the real solution has to come from Congress, and I expect that could happen quicker than what you might imagine, simply by measuring the results in this short period of time.” ...read more read less