U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said Iowa taxpayers "absolutely" have a right to know what Iowa State Patrol troopers are doing to assist Texas at the U.S.-Mexico border. Gov. Kim Reynolds approved the deployment of 29 Iowa State Patrol troopers to the border in June in response to a request for assistance from Texas. Reynolds has said Iowa will pay the cost of the operation. That cost is unknown until expenses are calculated after the mission ends. State officials have not shared details about the troopers' duties, citing security concerns. "I believe transparency is always the best policy," Ernst said on a call with reporters Wednesday. "And so I would love to know of course what our state troopers are doing. I do support the governor’s efforts there, but since our taxpayer dollars are being spent on that, yes, we should have some accountability on what those troopers' missions are and how they’ll be utilized at the border."