President Obama to send 1,200 troops to Mexican border

[Alpha Mare]

Obama will deploy up to 1,200 National Guard troops to help secure the Southwest Border against Mexican drug cartels, White House officials said Tuesday.

Obama also is requesting that Congress approve $500 million for enhanced border protection and law enforcement activities as part of an emergency spending bill expected to come to the Senate floor this week.

The troops being deployed by Obama will work primarily on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and will be there mainly to supplement existing Customs and Border Protection agents, officials have said. That was also the role the troops played in 2006, when then-President George W. Bush deployed them to the Southwest border as part of Operation Jump Start.

• "We are outraged. Instead of addressing a domestic human-rights crisis, the president appears to be caving into extremists who are further shattering and already broken immigration system."

- Pablo Alvarado, director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, in a written statement.

• "Taking this step without any concurrent announcement on next steps, or even a timeline for a comprehensive fix to our broken immigration system is both inadequate and deeply disappointing. The White House must outline a clear plan of action. And Republican leadership must stop playing politics and do its part to solve the problem."

- Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza.

• "We hope that today's announcement is an indication of the federal government's commitment to enact immigration reform. Only then can we have safe and healthy communities on both sides of the border."

- Edmundo Hidalgo, president and CEO Chicanos Por La Causa. • "Do I think it's (the federal government's response) is enough? Absolutely not. There ought to be several thousand troops put on the border. We demand that the border be secured and the laws be enforced."


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/05/25/20100525president-obama-troops-arizona-mexico-border.html#ixzz0p0PSTGkZ

[Zathras]

This is just a dog and pony show in my opinion. If the government was serious they would send 20 times the number, fully armed, with orders to shoot to kill any illegal border crossers. While the NG is guarding the border, there would be combat engineers setting up mine fields, razorwire traps and automated gun positions in a belt 5 miles deep starting at the border and covering the entire length of the border except in populated areas.

[rich_t]

Smoke and mirrors.

[JohnnyReb]

What's 1200 men...1 man per mile of Texas border if they work 24/7 and NO time off.

[Freeper]

hmm is it ok if the troops use racial profiling? 

[thundley4]

It doesn't look like Lord Zero informed the governors of the border states, nor did he tell the republican senators that he met with yesterday about this.

In  other news, the DOJ is filing suit against AZ over their immigration law.

[DumbAss Tanker]

What's 1200 men...1 man per mile of Texas border if they work 24/7 and NO time off.

They're not even going to be 'on' the border, just doing headquarters, logistics, and support functions for the half-assed and narcoleptic job the Border Patrol does (Which is not the fault of the individual agents).  This is a purely-symbolic gesture that will have no real effect.

[thundley4]

Obama has his marching orders as to what these troops shall be used for.

Washington D.C, May 25th, 2010

Regarding the Administration’s decision to send 1,200 National Guard servicemen to the US Southern border, the Government of Mexico trusts that this decision will help to channel additional US resources to enhance efforts to prevent the illegal flows of weapons and bulk cash into Mexico, which provide organized crime with its firepower and its ability to corrupt.

Additionally, the Government of Mexico expects that National Guard personnel will strengthen US operations in the fight against transnational organized crime that operates on both sides of our common border and that it will not, in accordance to its legal obligations, conduct activities directly linked to the enforcement of immigration laws.

Mexico is determined to continue working on its side of the border to enhance the security and well-being of border communities, and to deter and dismantle organized crime and its links to drug trafficking and human smuggling.

As part of our joint strategy in the fight against transnational organized crime, there are actions that our two governments have undertaken together, and there are other measures taken independently by Mexico and by the US within their respective territories. In this regard, the Mexican Government fully respects the sovereign decisions of the US Government, but underscores that joint responsibility must continue to underpin our joint efforts in rolling-back transnational organized crime operating on both sides of the border.

Statement from the Mexican Embassy

[Boudicca]

I couldn't find in the article any mention of whether or not these National Guard soldiers would be provided ammo for their weapons.  Methinks, given the last time they were sent ammunition deprived, the answer will be no.

Either way, set up booby traps and claymores along the entire border and publish a comic book to that effect.  If the president of Mexico communicates border crossing strategies to his paisanos via comics, we should do likewise to disseminate the consequences of such crossing.  AND the penalty shouldn't be a warm dinner, a comfy bed and a free ride back across the border so they can try again in 48 hours.

WHY don't these supposedly impoverished illegal aliens pool the exorbitant amounts of money they pay the coyotes and instead start a local business or farming enterprise, etc.?