“Border security is an important aspect of immigration reform, but it is only one part of the equation.  Unfortunately, the temporary deployment of 6,000 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexican border will do little in the short run and nothing in the long run to address the issues which so many Americans are so deeply concerned about.

“That’s because militarizing the border diverts our energies from meeting the real challenge: achieving comprehensive immigration reform.  Comprehensive reform must encompass border security, family reunification, easing the immigration backlog, holding employers accountable for labor exploitation, and laying out a path to legalized status and citizenship that includes tough requirements for learning English, paying fines and back taxes, and proving gainful employment.

“Unfortunately, the President’s plan shifts responsibility for border security from the civilian agencies of the Department of Homeland Security to the already over deployed National Guard.  For years, our military forces have been stretched thin by current operations.  Adding this mission along the Mexico border will increase the strain.  Many of our National Guard forces have already served a year in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan.  We are now asking them to take on an additional year in the deserts of the southwestern United States.

“I believe trained civilian law enforcement professionals are best suited for this important responsibility.  We need to face up to the challenge of providing enough Border Security personnel to do the job.  Congress authorized 2,000 new Border Patrol agents each year for five years as part of the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.  Last year, however, the President's budget called for only 210 new Border Patrol agents, and Congress provided for 1,500- an improvement, but still well short of the mark.  Ironically, it would be cheaper to hire, train and deploy Border Patrol officers than to mobilize an equivalent number of National Guard troops for border duty, but this year's budget continues to undermine civilian law enforcement on the border.

“If the President truly wants to address the issue of border protection, he must stop under-funding and understaffing the Border Patrol.  We can not continue to shift the responsibility resulting from this lack of homeland security planning to our nation’s military.   This shortsighted course jeopardizes recruitment, retention and readiness of our National Guard forces.  Just as importantly, it postpones the day when we address the challenge of comprehensive immigration reform.”

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