President Donald Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border has drawn a mixed response. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey welcomed the move, while California Gov. Jerry Brown’s National Guard said it would “review” the request.
Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., had a specific complaint: He said it was a poor use of tax dollars.
“Using the National Guard to do border security is very expensive,” Gallego tweeted April 3. “For what it would cost the Guard to make just TWO arrests at the border, we could give a homeless veteran permanent housing for an entire year.”
Gallego’s office said they had the numbers to back that up and pointed to several news articles.
We went to government reports and filings for the data, and with a caveat about who actually makes arrests at the border, the statement checks out.
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