Immigrant rights group reacts to Lamont’s offer to deploy CT National Guard at US southern border

By Maria Cajahuaringa, CT Public Radio

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont made headlines during a televised interview with CNBC, where he announced his readiness to deploy the state's National Guard to assist at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Lamont emphasized the far-reaching impact of the immigration crisis, asserting that it affects states beyond those typically associated with frontline border issues, such as Connecticut.

“It’s in all of our backyards. I see what it’s doing to the country. They’ve got to secure the border. I tell President Biden, we’ll send the Connecticut Guard down to help you if that’s what you need to get it done,” Lamont said.

The governor could shift his focus to immigration issues in his own state, according to one local advocate.

“Lamont has a duty to also protect his community here in Connecticut, and he should be more focused in reinvesting the resources that Connecticut has in his constituency,” said Barbara Lopez, executive director of the immigrant rights organization Make the Road Connecticut.