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Senator Frist Supports Sending National Guard to Mexican Border
May 14 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said the U.S. should send thousands of National Guard troops to the Mexican border to stem the flood of illegal immigrants.

``The only thing that we can do to secure our borders right now is to give our states help, and that is best done through the National Guard,'' the Tennessee Republican said today on CNN's ``Late Edition'' program.

President George W. Bush is giving an address tomorrow night outlining plans to increase security on the U.S.-Mexican border, likely using National Guard troops. The Senate is beginning debate on immigration legislation that's in line with Bush's requests for better border security and a temporary worker program, while the House of Representatives has passed legislation that focuses on border security.

Frist said the Senate would probably pass an immigration bill within two weeks. His support for the use of National Guard troops puts him at odds with some from his own party.

``That's not the role of our National Guard,'' Senator Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, said on ABC's ``This Week'' program. ``That's a short-term fix, and I'm not sure that's a very wise fix.''

Stretched Thin

About 75 percent of National Guard equipment is in Iraq, and many members are on their fourth tour of duty there, stretching the U.S. military ``as thin as we have ever seen in it modern times,'' Hagel said.

Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, said on CBS's ``Face the Nation'' that the National Guard proposal is one of a number of ideas the president is looking at.

``This is not about militarizing the border,'' Hadley said, adding that guardsmen would probably be used on an interim basis for support functions such as intelligence and training, backing up the Border Patrol.

Senator Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat, said on ``This Week'' that adding National Guard forces might work as a ``stopgap.'' He urged the Senate to quickly pass a bill adding 2,500 border guards a year until their ranks are doubled from the current 12,000.

About 100 guardsmen already aid the U.S. Border Patrol in fighting drug trafficking, and tomorrow night Bush is expected to propose adding fewer than 10,000 more, according to two senior administration officials. The federal government would likely commit money to help pay for the increased border force, an unidentified aide said May 12.

The Pentagon has also voiced some skepticism about calling up large numbers of the 350,000-strong Army National Guard to patrol the border.

``The task of maintaining the integrity of the U.S. border is clearly a law enforcement function,'' said a May 12 statement from Lieutenant Commander Jeff Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman. ``Any additional Defense Department support would be temporary and allow Customs to recruit and train additional personnel.''

To contact the reporter on this story:
Demian McLean in Washington at dmclean8@bloomberg.net.