Thread: Illegal crossings in N.M. down with help from National Guard

Illegal crossings in N.M. down with help from National Guard

The Associated Press
Published: 06.27.2007

DEMING, N.M. — Illegal crossings on New Mexico's southern border appear to be down since National Guard troops started building barriers and conducting surveillance last year as part of Operation Jump Start.
The mission is an effort by President Bush to slow illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border while the U.S. Border Patrol hires and trains more agents.
As of the end of May, federal officials said apprehensions of illegal immigrants in the Border Patrol's El Paso sector — which covers part of Texas and all of New Mexico — dropped 43 percent compared to the same time the previous fiscal year.
In the Deming area alone, the number of illegal immigrants apprehended by agents plummeted 61 percent compared to the same period last year.
"I feel really proud about what the National Guard of New Mexico and all those supporting states have done for this mission," said Col. Don Walker, commander of Joint Task Force Zia, the New Mexico portion of Operation Jump Start.
Border Patrol spokesman Martin Hernandez said the troops have been essential to the agency's operations along the border.
The soldiers have completed about nine miles of vehicle barriers along the border since October. Most of it is in the Columbus area.
Units are also watching for illegal crossers from the Las Cruces area to the Bootheel in Hidalgo County, which some describe as a remote and desolate area.
"We're strung out from border to border," said Lt. Col. William Evrage, a Task Force Zia operations officer.
Officials said the troops form a deterrent by conducting constant surveillance and that frees up Border Patrol agents to focus on other tasks. Evrage described the troops as the "eyes and ears" of the Border Patrol.
He added that the soldiers' job is not to apprehend people who cross illegally or stop drug traffickers.
"We identify the type of activity taking place in the assigned area and report to Border Patrol agents, who take care of detentions," he said.
This week, about 800 troops are part of Task Force Zia. Walker said that number will be drawn down to about 300 troops between July 1 and Sept. 1.
Despite the accomplishments of the Border Patrol and National Guard, Operation Jump Start has faced opposition from some state lawmakers and others in New Mexico.
"I don't agree with the militarization of the border," said state Rep. Antonio Lujan, D-Las Cruces. "This idea of erecting a barrier for security in the border, I do not think is going to work. National Guard soldiers should be used in times of need, such as natural disasters."

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/nationworld/55861.php

Kudos to the National Guard. There quite possibly is another reason: Home building in Texas--a big employer of illegals--has gone into a big slump. I was shocked when I saw news reports of some of the major homebuilding companies, especially as they were building high end homes. There is enough profit in luxury homes that they should be able to employ nothing but true US citizen and legal immigrant workers. yet their crews looked like nothing but migrants.

Well. there are some some Texas based homebuilders worthy of investigation, I think.

Hate to tell them ...that the crossing are down because they are being brought in by Buses threw Texas