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California governor skeptical of using Guard troops on border
By The Bakersfield Californian | Friday, May 12 2006 6:15 PM
Last Updated: Friday, May 12 2006 6:15 PM

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has urged Washington to toughen border security, said Friday he had misgivings about mobilizing state National Guard troops to help secure the nation's southern boundary.

"Going the direction of the National Guard, I think, is maybe not the right way to go," Schwarzenegger told reporters after a news conference on the state budget.

As part of a proposed overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, President Bush is considering plans to shore up the border by using National Guard troops paid for by the federal government.

Schwarzenegger suggested that Guard troops returning from service in Iraq should be able to go back to their jobs, not head to the border.

"We should let them go to work," he said.

The governor's positions on immigration are closely watched because the Austrian-born former movie star is the best-known immigrant in U.S. politics, and California has more illegal immigrants than any other state - an estimated 2.4 million.

Schwarzenegger has said he favors a temporary worker program but provided few details about how such a plan should work. He does not support blanket amnesty but also thinks it is impractical to consider deporting millions of illegal immigrants.