Guard Troops Patrolling Border Will Be Cut to 300

The U.S. Department of Defense will drastically reduce the number of National Guard troops currently assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents patrol the border from 1,200 to 300 and replace them with manned aircraft, federal officials said Tuesday.

Federal authorities will replace the troops with several OH-58 and UH-72 helicopters and RC-26 airplanes, which will focus on detection and monitoring -- not enforcement -- and will greatly increase the troops' viewing of the surveillance area.

"We are basically going from boots on the ground to boots in the air," U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner David V. Aguilar said.

Officials said they couldn't provide the number of aircraft or information on the exact location of where they will be situated because of security concerns. However, Border Patrol Chief Michael J. Fisher said that many will be stationed in Arizona and South Texas.

Currently, there are 1,200 troops spread across the border. In the El Paso-Las Cruces region, about 82 members of the New Mexico National Guard have been watching for undocumented immigrants and drug smugglers in the desert next to the Mexican border since August.

Aguilar said the withdrawal will begin in January and is scheduled to conclude in late March.

Fisher said the shift will make border surveillance more efficient.

"This is a good news story. CBP continues to increase its own capacity to secure the country's border in less costly ways," he said.

National Guard troops have been stationed along the border since the summer of 2010 to help CBP prevent illegal border crossings and drug shipments while the Department of Homeland Security increases its own manpower, infrastructure and technology.

According to Homeland Security spokesman Matthew Chandler, National Guard Soldiers have contributed to make 27,875 apprehensions and helped seize 99,342 pounds of marijuana.

The troops have not engaged in direct law enforcement activities. Rather, Aguilar said they have helped CBP with surveillance and construction of roads, buildings and fences.

"As the Border Patrol has been doubled in size, augmented with technology, infrastructure and personnel, DoD was attached to the hip with us," Aguilar said.

U.S. Rep. Sylvestre Reyes, D-Texas, supported the drawdown, saying that having National Guard troops on the border was not cost effective.

"I have expressed my desire that any future partnerships between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense should focus less on boots on the ground and more on proven, practical strategies that wisely use limited government resources to provide support to our existing Border Patrol agents," Reyes said in a statement.

Some immigration advocacy groups also applauded the strategy shift.

Brittney Nystrom, director of policy and legal affairs at the National Immigration Forum, said the drawdown was positive since the federal government is under pressure to control spending.

"With this announcement, DHS and DoD are saying they are trying to be more conscientious about their strategy moving forward," Nystrom said. "It's an attempt to find a balance between a real need for security and the reactions of politicians and other people who want to look tough on the border."

Source: http://www.military.com/news/article/guard-troops-patrolling-border-will-be-cut-to-300.html?ESRC=topstories.RSS

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