Should President Donald Trump follow through on his plan to deploy the National Guard to the southern border to deter migration from Mexico and Central America, he won't be able to count on Oregon's 5,800 soldiers.

Gov. Kate Brown (D-Ore.) said shortly after Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the president's decision on Wednesday that she would not send her state's National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border, and called the plan an effort to "distract" from Trump's ongoing legal troubles and the chaotic nature of his administration.

There’s been no outreach by the President or federal officials, and I have no intention of allowing Oregon’s guard troops to be used to distract from his troubles in Washington. — Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 4, 2018

Nielsen's announcement came after Trump denounced reports of "caravans" of migrants—many fleeing violence—headed toward the U.S. and insisted the military must be deployed to guard the border until a wall is built—a proposal critics called "beyond disturbing."

The National Guard is made up of citizens who generally hold civilian jobs as well and report for duty when needed to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, and are sometimes deployed on military operations overseas.

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Brown is just one of many critics who have voiced serious concerns about militarizing border communities by placing the National Guard for an undetermined amount of time—with military officials saying the move would be construed as needlessly aggressive by U.S. allies to the south and others saying the deployment would amount to an immense waste of resources.

Military troops don't belong at the border. Deploying the military in U.S. communities is a dangerous move and contrary to the fundamental norms of a civil society. https://t.co/6Y6BW5ulOJ — ACLU (@ACLU) April 4, 2018

Communities in the border region have among the lowest crime rates in the country and there is record-low unauthorized migration. President Trump is trying to create a crisis where there is none. — ACLU (@ACLU) April 4, 2018

Sending the National Guard to US-Mexico border is completely irresponsible. Not only is it a total waste of resources but it leaves many states vulnerable in the case of natural disaster. Also, Puerto Rico is still part of America. What about them? — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) April 4, 2018