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Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster credits and thanks the National Guard for securing the nation’s border, where illegal immigration is down 25 percent since this time last year, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. Since last June, more than 50,000 people were captured trying to illegally enter the U.S.
“The National Guard is working hard to make America safer and I applaud their efforts on the border,” said Congressman Bill Shuster. “Border security is our first line of defense. Last year, I supported the President’s decision to send National Guard troops to the border. This new information proves that having troops on the border works. I think we should consider sending more troops and fully securing our border to the South.”
President Bush sent National Guard troops to tighten security along the Mexican border while the Border Patrol recruits more officers. The National Guard currently has 6,200 troops on the border to Mexico.
This is an excerpt from today’s USA Today article entitled ‘Border Patrol says Guard troops help’:
The deployment of National Guard troops along the Mexican border has helped curb the number of illegal immigrants attempting to cross through the busiest sector, the U.S. Border Patrol said Thursday. Since troops began arriving in June, the number of illegal immigrants captured in the remoter deserts south of Tucson totaled 56,400, more than 25% fewer that the same period last year, the Border Patrol said.
Jesus Rodriguez, spokesman for the patrol’s Tucson sector, said the troops have been a deterrent to illegal border crossers. President Bush ordered Guard troops to the border in May to boost security for two years while more Border Patrol officers are recruited. The National Guard said it has 6,200 troops on the border in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. |
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