14 July 2006
U.S. Dispatches 3,500 National Guardsmen to Southwest Border
Guardsmen will support efforts of Customs and Border Patrol
Washington – The United States has dispatched more than 3,500 National Guardsmen to its Southwestern border states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas where they will support the work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agency, according to the chief of the National Guard Lieutenant General Steven Blum.
In a July 14 Pentagon briefing, Blum announced that the United States currently has 3,500 National Guardsmen dispatched to the Southwest border, a number that will grow to 6,000 by August 1.
As part of Operation Jump Start, these guardsmen will provide military capability in support of civilian law enforcement. Blum said that the National Guard troops are not replacing the Border Patrol, but rather will enhance tactical infrastructure for the CBP, including building and maintaining roads, fences, lighting, sensors, and towers with cameras.
In addition to tactical infrastructure support, the National Guard will also provide aviation support. These efforts will include aerial reconnaissance as well as transportation.
“There are places [along the border] where there's very difficult time-distance to move between Point A and Point B because of the lack of roads and infrastructure,” Blum said. “Our aviation support will help them immensely in that regard.”
The plan to dispatch the guardsmen, first announced by President Bush May 15, is part of the White House's comprehensive immigration reform effort and officials say the temporary measure “is not intended as a militarization of the border.” (See related article.)
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale said in a July 14 radio interview that the National Guardsmen will also provide communication support, medical support and eventually some intelligence analysis, but that their primary purpose would be to monitor the border on behalf of CBP.
“Most of our force consists of National Guardsmen who will be observing various stretches of the border throughout the four-state area of the Southwest to detect, either visually or in some cases using sensors, illegal cross-border movement so we can give a heads-up at that point to the Border Patrol, they can go out and execute the law enforcement mission to interdict and detain and process those who have crossed the border illegally,” McHale said.
The two officials both emphasized that the National Guardsmen will not be performing law enforcement duties.
“We're going to be providing assistance to the primary mission of Border Patrol so that the law enforcement functions can be carried out exclusively by the Border Patrol,” McHale said. We're not going to engage in military activities that directly affect law enforcement…We're not going to be stopping people with military forces as they come across the border.”
McHale added that the United States is working closely with the Mexican government to assure a full understanding of the National Guardsmen’s activities. He also pointed out that Operation Jump Start is not to last more than two years. Within this time, McHale said, the Department of Homeland Security will train 6,000 new border patrol agents.
“This is a temporary measure in support of civilian law enforcement,” he said. “It is certainly is not our intent to militarize the border.”
“We're not putting 6,000 armed National Guardsmen on the border as a show of force,” Blum said at the Pentagon briefing. “That's not what the Border Patrol wants us to do. That's not what any of the governors wants us to do. That's not what the president has asked us to do. That's not what we're going to do. That's not our mission.”
For additional information on U.S. policy, see Immigration Reform.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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