Many at Pentagon Want out of Border Patrol Responsibility

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Officials in the Department of Defense are frustrated over the continued use of National Guard troops to police the U.S. border with Mexico, according to a new government report.

There are currently 1,140 Guardsmen patrolling the border. About 30,000 performed the same duty from 2006-2008. Twice this year the Department of Homeland Security has extended the National Guard’s mission to keep illegal immigrants out of the Southwest, and that has military leaders concerned about the long-range strategy, or lack thereof, by the administration over how to secure the border.

A report by the Government Accountability Office says defense officials are worried about “mission creepâ€