Alipac website is full of messages demanding federal forces arrest illegals as they cross the border.

Generally speaking - With strict limitations, you can have federal armed forces in support of the border patrol where such DoD assets are not in any contact with the lawbreaker forces coming across the border. Easy to understand examples are use of federal forces to perform intelligence gathering, resupply for border patrol, airborne surveillence.

You cannot have federal forces come in any contact with the outlaws, period.

To do so, would be a violation of the The Posse Comitatus Act

The Posse Comitatus Act - Prohibits search, seizure, or arrest powers to US military personnel. Amended in 1981 under Public Law 97-86 to permit increased Department of Defense support of drug interdiction and other law enforcement activities. (Title 18, "Use of Army and Air Force as Posse Comitatus" - United States Code, Section 1385)

THE POSSE COMITATUS ACT
"Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."


What this means is this: If a US armed forces on-scene commander directs, allows, or authorizes federal troops to arrest, apprehend, stop, or interfere with illegal aliens - that on scene commander can be arrested by the county sheriff of jurisdiction and can be fined and/or imprisoned for up to 2 years. And commanders know the Posse Comitatus Act. Do not ask them to violate it.

My comments, if I may. Yes, some of us would prefer to have US Armed forces engaging illegals with interlocking and suppressing fires along the border; yes, some of us would prefer to have a flaming wall of steel rain down on the illegals as they cross the border; yes, we would prefer to see illegals' employers led away in handcuffs - but don't ask commanders to violate the Posse Comitatus Act 'cause it ain't gonna happen.

What you and I can ask for:

We can ask for DoD assests in support of drug interdiction as described above.

On the other hand, Army National Guard forces under STATE control are exempted from the Posse Comitatus Act and governors know that. Find out and know the limitations of state control as it applies to law enforcement. Once you federalize them, you tie their hands and they can't perform law enforcement.

We can ask for Department of Defense support of the border patrol and FBI, realizing that such support will be to the border patrol and not to perform law enforcement.

Know the Posse Comitatus Law:
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/posse/posse.htm