Approximately 1,200 National Guard troops are in Arizona to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border and more are coming from across the nation, Governor Napolitano said July 19.
The Guard force in Arizona should expand to 2,000 within a few weeks and could eventually rise to 2,400 out of the total of 6,000 expected at any one point in all four states along the border, Ms. Napolitano said. “Now it’s becoming a steady stream.”
Within Arizona, “they’re clearly focused on areas of the greatest illegal immigrant traffic,” she said, citing Douglas, Nogales, San Luis and the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation.
President Bush authorized the National Guard deployment in June.
Arizona has some of its Guard soldiers posted on the border, and other states sending troops to Arizona include Kansas, North Carolina, Hawaii, Virginia, Kentucky and New York.
Some soldiers are being sent for several weeks for their units’ annual training while others volunteered for longer stints.
The Guard soldiers are being used to augment the Border Patrol until more agents are hired and trained. The troops are being used in support roles and not in direct enforcement against illegal immigration or smuggling of contraband. Duties include barrier construction, road building, surveillance and humanitarian assistance.
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