Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 11 april 2018

Gradual deployment of U.S. troops to Mexico border underway

By JOHN L. MONE and PAUL Monthly border arrests sur-
J. WEBER passed 50,000 in March for
Associated Press the first time since Decem-
ROMA, Texas (AP) — The ber 2016. The Border Patrol,
deployment of National which polices between
Guard members to the U.S.- but not at official crossings,
Mexico border at President made more than 37,000
Donald Trump's request of those arrests, including
was underway Tuesday more than 14,000 in Texas'
with a gradual ramp-up of Rio Grande Valley, nearly
troops under orders to help 6,000 in its Tucson, Arizona,
curb illegal immigration. sector and more than 4,000
The Trump administra- in San Diego.
tion also announced that Inspectors at official cross-
Homeland Security Kirstjen ings made nearly 13,000
Nielsen will visit this week a arrests in March, led by the
stretch of new border wall Laredo, Texas, field office
breaking ground in New with more than 4,800 and
Mexico, putting additional the San Diego field office
focus on what Trump has with about 3,800.
called a crisis of migrant Apprehensions are still well
crossings and crime. below their historical trends
The construction and com- during the terms of former
mitment of at least 1,600 presidents George W. Bush
Guard members from Ari- and Barack Obama, both
zona, New Mexico and of whom also deployed the
Texas provoked fresh con- Guard to the border.
demnation from immigrant Some Guard members
activists and praise from will be armed if they are
border-state Republican placed in potential dan-
governors, who will retain ger, Abbott said, adding
command-and-control of he wanted to downplay
their state's Guard during a speculation that "our Na-
mission that for now has no tional Guard is showing up
firm end date. Aaron Hull, chief patrol agent of the U. S. Customs and Border Protection's El Paso Sector, speaks with military bayonets try-
where construction on a new segment of the border wall will be built, near Santa Teresa, N.M.,
The only holdout border Monday, April 9, 2018. ing to take on anybody
state was California, led Associated Press that's coming across the
by Democratic Gov. Jerry border, because that is not
Brown, who has not an- on the border for years as "proven to have a mean- children who had attend- their role."
nounced whether troops part of its own border secu- ingful impact" in reducing ed school on the U.S. side There is no end date for the
from his state's National rity efforts. immigration and crime. of the border showed their deployment, Abbott said:
Guard will participate and "What is different now it is In the Texas border town of passports and paid a toll to "We may be in this for the
has repeatedly clashed happening in a different Roma, about a half-dozen cross a bridge over the river long haul."
with Trump over immigra- context and a different uniformed Guard members and walk home to the Mex- Trump has said he wants
tion policy. The state was narrative," said Fernando were seen Tuesday near an ican community of Ciudad to use the military at the
still reviewing Tuesday Garcia, director of the Bor- international bridge along Miguel Aleman. border until progress is
whether it join the effort, der Network for Human the Rio Grande. Children Trump said last week he made on his proposed bor-
said Lt. Tom Keegan, a Rights, an immigrant advo- played just across the river wants to send 2,000 to 4,000 der wall, which has mostly
spokesman for the Califor- cacy group. in Mexico, and it wasn't National Guard members stalled in Congress. Defense
nia National Guard. Speaking from the Rio clear whether the Guard to the border, issuing a Secretary James Mattis last
In Texas, where Republi- Grande Valley where im- members were new or part proclamation citing "the Friday approved paying for
can Gov. Greg Abbott has migrant crossings are the of Texas' earlier observe- lawlessness that continues up to 4,000 National Guard
pledged to put more than highest along the 2,000- and-report missions. at our southern border." personnel from the Penta-
1,000 Guard members into mile (3,200-kilometer) U.S.- One guard member was Trump administration of- gon budget through the
action, military officials said Mexico border, Garcia armed with an M4 rifle and ficials have said that rising end of September.
Tuesday that 300 troops said, "When you hear the used binoculars to peer numbers of people being Mexico's foreign relations
would report to armories narrative of the president, it across the river. Pickup caught at the southern secretary said his govern-
this week for preparation seems to him the enemy is trucks with guard mem- border, while in line with ment is evaluating its co-
and training. Texas has the immigrant family." bers inside circled the town seasonal trends in recent operation with the United
previously kept about 100 Abbott said in a statement square along with border years, require an immedi- States.
Guard members stationed Tuesday that the Guard has patrol vehicles. Mexican ate response. q