Nat'l Guard to Deploy in Border States Aug. 1

(AP)  National Guard troops will head to the U.S.-Mexico border Aug. 1 for a yearlong deployment to keep a lookout for illegal border crossers and smugglers and help in criminal investigations, federal officials said Monday.

The troops will be armed, but can use their weapons only to protect themselves, Gen. Craig McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau said at a Pentagon news conference. The troops will undergo initial training and be fully deployed along the nearly 2,000-mile southern border by September.

The deployment announcement comes as drug-related violence has escalated in Mexico. Several people were killed over the weekend in a car bombing and in a separate massacre at a private party in Mexico. It also comes as the U.S. debate over illegal immigration has intensified in this election year.

"The border is more secure and more resourced than it has ever been, but there is more to be done," said Alan Bersin, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, part of the Homeland Security Department.

The 1,200 troops will be distributed among four border states, with Arizona getting 524; Texas, 250; California, 224 and New Mexico, 72. Another 130 would be assigned to a national liaison office.

Bersin also said the Homeland Security Department will provide six more aircraft, including helicopters, to the border. He said at least 300 Customs and Border Protection agents and inspection officers would be sent to the Tucson area, along with mobile surveillance vans and additional technology.

"It will help," Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, said Monday in Santa Fe, N.M., where he was attending the annual meeting of the Conference of Western Attorneys General. "Manpower clearly has been deficient. Technology has been somewhat deficient and they're bolstering that."

But the governors of Texas and Arizona, both Republicans, complained last week that 1,200 troops are insufficient.

McKinley said even though the four border states are contributing 54,000 troops to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they still have a sizable number of guard troops in the states for other deployments or disaster response. More can be deployed at state cost if governors wish, but the 1,200 are being paid for by the federal government, he said.

"Right now I cannot see a case where we would be overextending the National Guard for this effort," he said.

As part of the effort, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is beefing up its presence in Arizona, said John Morton, the Homeland Security Department assistant secretary overseeing the agency.

Morton said ICE is opening a new office in Ajo, Ariz., to focus exclusively on cross-border crime and to deploy a specialized investigative team in Douglas, where an Arizona rancher was murdered.

Also, the agency will send ICE lawyers to U.S. attorneys offices to help prosecute felons who illegally re-enter the country after deportation. It also will increase the number of ICE agents in Mexico to 40, making it ICE's largest office among 63 offices in 44 countries.

"We are placing a particular emphasis on the Tucson sector in Arizona, an area favored by smugglers and the principal point of illegal entry into the United States along the southwest border," Morton said.
By Associated Press Writer Suzanne Gamboa

[LetTheSouthSecede]

in addition to these troops, we need to strip a 1/2 mile swath of land out and load it with mines. after that - start construction on the Great Wall of America. the East Germans knew how to keep people from getting out of their miserable little state - let's employ some of those tactics here to keep the taco-heads out of our great state.

[Bisk1]

"The border is more secure and more resourced than it has ever been, but there is more to be done," said Alan Bersin, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, part of the Homeland Security Department.


**********

The most that has been done is quite awhile to secure our borders - Repugs that really care about our immigration issues (most esp. in AZ) should applaud this POTUS Obama for imcreasing efforts to better secure our country while most other Americans already know that this POTUS is absolutely doing all he possibly can, given the situation he was thrust in but am not getting my hopes up bout the dumb dumb repugs. Dumb Repugs !!

[ouchitatom]

I said yesterday and days before , I think we may be finally headed in that direction. DEADLY FORCE AUTHORIZED IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL STOP BORDER BREACH.

[wdh3007]

The four border states who contribute 54,000 troops to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should pull all the troops out and patrol the border.

[skepticalJM]

Too little, too late! But then better late than never!

[quotelawrence]

we will put troops on the border and do what give them food and water you all know we are not going to defend our border because than we will look like the bad guys and Americans especially White American have to be generous and kind and tolerant and patient while everyone else poops all over us.

[thy-only_king]

1200 troops for 2000 miles of border ? not enough ...
Need to place a sniper about every mile.
1/2 mile is a easy shot for a sniper.
This will take 2000 men and 2000 25 ft armored towers.
Would be nice to have alarm between each towers,
that would beep if something crossed between those 2 towers.
I think the Mexicans will understand this.

[thy-only_king]

The troops will be armed, but can use their weapons only to protect themselves,

Anyone that does not stop when asked, should be considered dangerous.

[consh8theusa]

What's the matter Bagger, you clowns have been complaining that Obama hasn't put the Guard at the border and now your complaining that he has, make up that tiny thing you call a brain. Your just like Brewer in Zonieland, she complains about no Guard at the border but she can put the Arizona Guard there anytime she wants, she just has to pay for them with state funds, I guess they aren't needed that bad.

[ffoulkes-2009]

Don't you read what you type? You people are griping and complaining about Arizona taking federal responsibilities upon themselves by creating their new laws, but say they should PAY for the national guard to line up at the border? Is it a state's responsibility or is it not...make up your fool minds.

[Bisk1]

FFoulkes - me thinks, it's you not really trying to pay any attention to what's actually going on - bottom line is, Brewer could have paid for the guards to be at the border but instead she's taking the donations recived to pay Lawyers and pay for advertisement of her bogus, racist and illegal state law. Dumb Repugs !!

[inmom63]

Note to Federal Government....you cannot have it both ways!! You just filed suit against Arizona because they're trying to take action to limit illegals and now you're deploying 1200 National Guard to do the same thing?? Geez!

[consh8theusa]

They filed suit because the law is un-Constitutional, that has nothing to do with deploying the Guard, idiot.