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Yumans welcome more Guard troops on border
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Mar 8, 2006



The Yuma co-founder of a border watch group said the National Guard's presence on the border is necessary, while a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman said the patrol generally welcomes help in its mission of combating illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano signed an executive order Wednesday to send an unspecified number of additional troops to assist the patrol.

The announcement, however, came as a surprise to the Yuma County Sheriff's Office, which said it was not aware of the governor's plans until after the order was signed.

Flash Sharrar, co-founder of the border watch group Yuma Patriots, said the National Guard is "absolutely" necessary on the border and would go a long way toward calming the violence and crime.

"But are we getting lip service or are we actually getting the National Guard down here?" he asked. "We've gotten a lot of lip service from the governor. If it happens, I'm 110 percent in favor of it."

Sharrar said the Border Patrol needs more help from the federal government, but it also needs help from state and local governments. He said his patrols along the border would end when "the government does its job."

Rick Hays, a supervisory agent for the Border Patrol's Yuma sector, said using elements of the military to assist with border enforcement is not a new strategy.

Marines and soldiers are currently in the San Luis area building new border fences and roads as part of Joint Task Force North, an effort to fortify the border against illegal entry and drug smuggling.

Also, National Guardsmen are already assisting Yuma sector agents by performing communications duties, he said.

"It is nothing new to have military components on the border," Hays said.

The sector extends from the southeasternmost corner of California to the Yuma-Pima County line.

While not commenting on Napolitano's signing of the executive order, Hays said the patrol in general "greatly appreciates" any assistance it receives from the military and other law enforcement agencies.

Yuma County Sheriff's Maj. Leon Wilmot said the agency and other border county sheriffs were not notified about the plan prior to its announcement.

"We saw it on Fox News, so we got on the phone and contacted the governor's office."

Wilmot said YCSO was told the guard will act in a support function for the Border Patrol.

He said a lot of coordination and communication would be necessary to make the plan work.

"We support them 100 percent in supporting the Border Patrol to free their agents up."

Spokesmen for the guard's 855th Military Police Co. were not immediately available for comment Wednesday evening.

The Democratic governor also said she would veto a bill in the Republican-led Legislature requiring her to send troops to the border, but wants lawmakers to provide money to pay for the expanded National Guard role.

Proponents say the National Guard’s assistance in federal immigration efforts could help reduce border-related crime and make it more difficult for the tens of thousands of people who try to cross into Arizona illegally each year.

Critics say the National Guard’s lack of training in immigration law could lead to racial profiling and that stationing troops at the border could hurt the morale of those who may have already served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In any event, public pressure is mounting for state politicians who face re-election this year to confront illegal immigration, even though immigration has long been considered the sole province of the federal government.

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Sun staff members Jeffrey Gautreaux, John Vaughn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.