First wave of National Guard troops arrive along border
— reported by the Houston Chronicle
More than 50 National Guard troops have arrived in Arizona to begin their new mission along the Mexican border, the first troops to deploy under President Bush’s plan to crack down on illegal immigration.
The roughly 55 Utah National Guard members were expected today to begin extending fences, improving roads and working on border lighting near this city, located 25 miles south of Yuma, home of the nation’s busiest U.S. Border Patrol station.
They will perform duties that will free up immigration agents, allowing them to focus on enforcement along the border. The Guard members are not expected to perform significant law enforcement duties.
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