A senior Border Patrol agent said Monday that National Guard troops were not sent to the U.S.-Mexico border to make arrests of illegal entrants, but to take on some of the day-to-day and long-term tasks that agents have had to carry out instead of focusing on their patrolling duties.
“They have capabilities to provide for us that can make it much easier for us to secure the border — things like air support, repairing, creating infrastructure to assist us, logistical support, assisting with surveillance capabilities,” El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron E. Hull told reporters during a press conference in Santa Teresa, N.M., Monday. “They’re going to be providing administration support, not providing any law enforcement assistance. We provide all the law enforcement response.”
Hull said the temporary action will allow federal law enforcement officers to “enforce immigration law, which is why they were hired and deployed.”
Customs and Border Protection officials met Saturday with National Guard officials who represent Texas and New Mexico to get acquainted and begin a discussion on how to work together following the Trump administration’s deployment of the guardsmen.
Approximately 500 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border late Friday, the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security announced last week.
Those two agencies said the decision to send troops down to the southwest border was part of the administration’s commitment to use “every lever of power” to support Customs and Border Protection, as well as Border Patrol and local law enforcement following reports last weekend that a 1,000-person caravan of Central American migrants were traveling to the U.S.
National Guard Chief Gen. Joseph Lengyel said 500 troops — along with vehicles, helicopters, and equipment — were en route to the border.
Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona announced Friday evening plans to send National Guard members to the border over the next week.
Abbott said 250 troops would head out by Monday evening at the latest.
Ducey had said around 150 members would ship out sometime this week, and he deployed 225 members Monday. An additional number of troops will be deployed Tuesday.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has indicated she will support Trump’s plan to supplement law enforcement, which he had proposed last Wednesday due to Congress’s refusal to fully fund his $25 billion wall and a recent major uptick in illegal immigrant apprehensions last month.
California Gov. Jerry Brown has said he will not cooperate with the Trump administration.
The administration could send thousands of troops to help CBP and Border Patrol. Mattis approved a plan for 4,000 guardsmen and airmen earlier Friday.
Trump has said he envisions 2,000 to 4,000 service members being deployed.
During illegal immigrant apprehension spikes in Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama’s administrations, both ordered 6,000 guardsmen and 1,200 guardsmen to the border, respectively.
