DHS Requests Extension of National Guard Troops at the Border
Despite Pres. Obama's claim last week that our nation's borders are secure, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has asked Congress for $30 million to keep 1,200 National Guard troops on the border. The troops were first assigned to the border last year at Pres. Obama's direction.
Deployment of the National Guardsmen ends in June. Sec. Napolitano would like their deployment extended to September while the Department trains and stations additional Border Patrol.
“Congress appropriates funds for these types of missions, and DHS is requesting a reprogramming through the end of FY11,” said DHS spokesman Matt Chandler. “National Guard support along the Southwest border remains in place.”
While the Administrtion believes the National Guardsmen who will eventually be replaced with trained border patrol agents is sufficient to secure the more than 2,000-mile border with Mexico. A GAO study, however, from earlier this year found that DHS has only 44% "operational control" of the entire Southwest border. And yesterday, a new Rasmussen poll found that 64% of likely voters believe the border is not secure.
For more information on this story, see TheHill.com.