Thread: Ariz. senators: Obama plan to send guard to border not enoug

Ariz. senators: Obama plan to send guard to border not enough

By ERIN KELLY | Last Updated: May 25, 2010
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WASHINGTON — President Obama will deploy up to 1,200 National Guard troops to help secure the Southwest border against Mexican drug cartels, administration officials said Tuesday.

The troops will provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support until U.S. Customs and Border Protection can recruit and train more officers to serve on the border, officials said.

Obama also is asking Congress to approve $500 million for enhanced border protection and law enforcement activities as part of an emergency spending bill being debated by the Senate this week.

The money would be used to enhance technology at the border, share information with state, local and tribal law enforcement, and increase the number of federal agents and prosecutors "as part of a multi-layered effort to target illicit networks trafficking in people, drugs, illegal weapons and money," senior administration officials said.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and a bipartisan group of border state lawmakers in Congress have been urging Obama to send in guardsmen to respond to the high-profile violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

More than 20,000 Mexicans have died in drug-related violence, and Arizona law enforcement officials have complained of increased home-invasion robberies and other crime in the state's border towns.

"Washington has heard our message, the president has responded with more boots on the ground, and we're going to work to make sure that we continue to take border security seriously," said Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.

The White House has not said exactly where the troops will be stationed, but Giffords said no place is more in need of help than southern Arizona.

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., also welcomed the announcement, saying, "It is about time Washington started listening to us."

Kirkpatrick said the deployment should be only the beginning of increased efforts to secure the border.

"The White House and Congress need a comprehensive, long-term strategy to secure our borders, and that has to include greatly expanding the Border Patrol," Kirkpatrick said. She has introduced legislation calling for 3,500 additional border patrol agents to be deployed by the end of 2011.

Obama's decision to deploy the guard troops is not expected to satisfy everyone.

Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, both Republicans, unveiled a border action plan last month calling for the immediate deployment of 3,000 National Guard troops — more than twice as many as Obama is sending.

And the number keeps rising. McCain said Tuesday that he will seek funding for 6,000 guardsmen on the Southwest border.

Groups that advocate cracking down on illegal immigration said that 1,200 troops are not enough.

"I feel like a starving man that's been handed a cracker," said William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee. "This low number of troops is woefully inadequate and is further proof that President Obama does not take his constitutional responsibility to protect all states from invasion seriously."

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he thought that Obama's action was "a positive gesture."

"But it's only a temporary solution," Cornyn said.

Obama administration officials agreed, emphasizing that they will continue to work with Congress on immigration legislation.

Opponents of reform have said that the border must be secured before any legislation can be seriously considered.

This will be the second time in recent years that the National Guard has been sent to the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2006, President George W. Bush dispatched guardsmen to the border as part of a two-year effort known as Operation Jump Start to help with support duties until the Border Patrol was able to increase its staffing.

The Border Patrol today has more than 20,000 agents nationwide, the vast majority of whom are assigned to guard the U.S.-Mexico border.

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Erin Kelly is a reporter at Gannett's Washington Bureau.

http://www.federaltimes.com/article/201 ... 3/5250309/

the readers on AZCentral.com (Phoenix News Paper) have already posted 55 pages of comments

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... order.html

Even though it's a start, and isn't nearly enough troops, I don't trust obama...he's up to something. All he does is lie, he's anti-American, and always has a trick up his sleeve for self gain...