Bingaman pushes for Guardsmen along N.M. border

July 17, 2007

(AP) - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman says he's concerned about the federal government's plan to reduce the number of National Guard troops stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The New Mexico Democrat has sent a letter to President Bush, asking him to keep troops along New Mexico's international border until more Customs and Border Patrol agents have been trained and assigned to the area.

Bingaman says there has been a reduction in the number of immigrants illegally crossing the border since thousands of Guardsmen were deployed to the region in May 2006 as part of Operation Jump Start. The mission is designed to bolster the Border Patrol as it adds 6,000 new agents by the end of 2008.

Bingaman says he's concerned that if the number of Guardsmen are prematurely reduced, it would be difficult to maintain recent achievements.


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