There is an invasion happening at our Southern Border. It is a warzone. People are dying every day because of the crime, drugs, and human trafficking flowing into our country. President Trump is right – we need to secure our borders and keep Americans safe.

When you have a warzone, you send soldiers – and that’s exactly what South Dakota has done time and time again. I was the first governor in the nation to send National Guard soldiers to defend our border in 2021. This week, the South Dakota National Guard was deployed to our Southern Border for the fifth time. Their mission is critical.

South Dakota’s National Guard soldiers are doing all they can to keep our nation secure. They will be working with Texas to build the wall. They will stop dangerous criminals and terrorists from being able to enter into America where the wall is built. But illegal border crossings will still take place where the wall is not being constructed because President Biden refuses to secure the border.

While the front lines of this battle started along the Southern Border, all 50 states now have a common enemy – the Mexican drug cartels. They are waging a war against our nation. And it is the fault of President Joe Biden.  Unfortunately, we see the effects of the open border every day. The citizens of South Dakota are less safe because of it. We especially see the impact on our tribal reservations. Mexican drug cartel presence in Indian country is a problem across the nation.

I have called on all our tribal leaders to banish the cartels from tribal lands.

The cartels instigate drug addiction, murder, rape, human trafficking, and so much more in tribal communities across the nation, including right here in South Dakota. This suffering is only made worse by the failures of the Biden Administration and the severe lack of funding for law enforcement on tribal lands.

As recent media reports say, “In many ways, Indian reservations make for ideal places for a drug operation to set up shop. The communities suffer from high rates of drug addiction and low numbers of law enforcement.”

The federal government has repeatedly failed to serve our Native American tribes. These communities are suffering because the Biden Administration continues to turn a blind eye. This administration is underfunding tribal law enforcement, preventing the tribes from adequately responding to public safety issues.

This is why I am also pushing for an audit of federal funds going to South Dakota’s Native American tribes. This is necessary to understand the funding level that is needed to keep these communities safe. For years, the level of actual funding drastically underestimates the true breadth of the challenges of Indian Country. And it has only been made worse by the failed border policies of the Biden Administration and the presence of drug cartel operations on South Dakota tribal reservations.

I continue to request Law Enforcement Agreements between the State of South Dakota and the state’s Native American tribes. Although we might not always agree on every issue, we can surely agree on the need for law and order is imperative. We must work together to combat illegal activities in our most vulnerable and rural areas.

I will continue to speak the truth and fight to protect the lives of Native Americans in South Dakota – because that’s what they deserve.