Schwarzenegger wants to keep National Guard at the border
By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer
President should extend stay, replace equipment lost in Iraq deployments, governor says | ∞
On the same day that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called on President Bush to extend the assignment of California National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, he criticized the president for not doing more to replace the state's military equipment drained by multiple deployments to Iraq.
The governor, who initially resisted the National Guard's assignment to the border, said Monday that their job was not done because not enough U.S. Border Patrol agents have been hired to secure the border.
Some officials have credited the National Guard troops with helping to reduce illegal immigration through the border with Mexico, but the head of the Border Patrol's union said Monday that the military's contributions may be overstated.
In 2006, Bush ordered 6,000 troops to the border as part of Operation Jump Start to help with administrative and transportation duties, but not law enforcement work.
Those troops also assist the Border Patrol with surveillance, equipment maintenance and road and border fence construction.
The temporary deployment was supposed to help bolster the Border Patrol's ranks while the agency hired 6,000 additional agents. But only half that many have been hired, and the Guard's assignment is set to expire in July.
"We cannot afford to jeopardize the safety and security of our fellow Americans by removing personnel prematurely," the governor said Monday in a statement.
The governor also chided the president for not doing more to replace the guard's depleted equipment. Schwarzenegger, in Washington for a meeting of the National Governors Association, raised the issue in a meeting with Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"I think it is not fair to the state for the federal government to go into a war situation and then to take from us the equipment," Schwarzenegger told reporters. "Every time our National Guards leave, they take with them equipment but they don't bring it back. So there's only so long they can do that."
Overseas deployment -- mostly to Iraq -- has worsened equipment shortages afflicting the California National Guard, Lt. Col. Jon Siepmann said.
The Guard has about 200 trucks, Humvees and other items overseas, representing about 5 percent of its total equipment pool. It also is about to lose all 12 of its Chinook helicopters to other states to make up for aircraft those units have sent to war zones, said Siepmann, a Guard spokesman.
The state should get the Chinooks back in a year. Meanwhile, it will rely on Blackhawks and other aircraft, as well as on a compact with other states that make Chinooks available if they're needed.
In 2006, Schwarzenegger balked at the Guard deployment to the border, saying he wanted answers about the length and cost of the mission. But he later agreed to the deployment, saying that stopping illegal immigrants from crossing the border was paramount.
Bill Maile, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger, said there was no contradiction, given his previous concerns, between his request to extend their deployment to the border and his request for help replacing equipment.
"These are two separate issues," Maile said. "The governor urged the president to continue Operation Jump Start to maintain full federal funding until the mission is complete. ... The governor is also concerned that our National Guard equipment goes overseas and does not return."
"The governor's actions are consistent with his priority to protect Californians," Maile added.
Border Patrol officials have previously credited the troop deployment with a drop in arrests at the border in 2006. Arrests along the border in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California fell by about 27 percent in late 2006, compared with the same time in 2005, Border Patrol officials said.
However, T.J. Bonner, president of the Border Patrol's union, said Monday that the troops' effect on reducing illegal immigration may have been overblown. He said illegal immigrants initially may have feared crossing the border when troops were deployed, but soon figured out that the troops were not allowed to arrest people.
"It's not that they have not been somewhat helpful, but their actions have not been what the people thought," Bonner said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
-- Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.
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I hope that wrote on Feb 26, 2008 6:27 AM:Arnie is going to let the National Guard have bullets for their weapons this time around. An unarmed weapon might be a deterrent but is totally useless when it comes to a fire fight.
Just do it wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:43 AM:You won't get any complaints from me about putting the NG at the border. We need the Marines in Laredo, Tx. There is an out and out war going on there and no one seems to care. Secure the borders now!
Pluto in SD wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:45 AM:Hurry up and do it before we all get kidnapped by the Cartle.
Mickey wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:47 AM:I think we are finally getting the message through. Beef up the borders, clear out our schools and emergency rooms. Give welfare to the real poor Americans that deserve it. No SS for illegals. Deport , deport . deport.
Once again wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:00 AM:
Flores gets his two-bits in. He has no creditability.
Skip wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:10 AM:I still remember when Governor Schwarzenegger did radio Interiew on the John & Ken show, and he praised the Minutemen, ansd said we must secure our borders.
Ken wrote on Feb 26, 2008 10:18 AM:I am glad to hear that our Governor is making a great smart move and also realizes the problems that we are having because of the open border. I believe that we should put a base on the border and keep our military on the border forever. What better way is there to fight the INVASION of ILLEGAL ALIENS and ILLEGAL DRUGS from coming across our southern border? Thank you Governor!
jon wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:33 AM:They should give out bonuses and raise the amount of money a BP rookie agent recieves to help with the recruiting. When the National Guard at the border is making more than the BP agent working out in the field and the BP agent is the one making arrest that should raise some questions. Use the money paid to the Military at the border for pay raises for the BP agent.
Concerned-1 wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:37 PM:The comment about Laredo above brings to mind the kidnapping that just took place in LA. Add to that what's really going on south of the border and folks, we are in deep kim chee if we don't get the borders secured. The media is not covering the situation very well, but if you ask people who travel south you will find out that there is a real wild west show going on down there and it ain't pretty.
flip flopper wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:52 PM:Arnie is the biggest flip flopper rhere is. A liberal Democrat in disguise.
Bobby wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:08 PM:Concerned-1, I'll give you this, you have a talent for understatement saying "the media is not covering the situation very well." Even when they do "try" to cover it, they always do it with the poor illegal alien angle to it. How in the h-ll do they know who is coming across, whether they are poor or not. Besides, they never cover it in such a way as to make it clear that it is a violation of existing immigration laws to come across without premission and take up residence here, let alone apply for benefits after you do. Schwarzenegger is utterly useless.
Brad wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:25 PM:Arnie is still trying to talk out of both sides of his mouth. First he makes no mention of the things that could be done on the state level to help curb the invasion. How about getting behind another proposition like 187 Arnie? Or how about sponsoring some legislation like Az did? Then he wants universal health care with universal access to illegal aliens. Why not do something without putting more feed in the illegal alien bird feeder? The list is endless. If Arnie really wanted to help stop illegal immigration, there are other ways to do it besides putting the NG on the border. Not that doing so is a bad thing. Arnie wants to stay in government and to do so he needs the money from the cheap labor lobby and the support of ethnic special interest groups.
Yes wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:48 PM:Arnold is so full of it. He supported Bushes amnesty plan and next week he will probably change his mind again and want the National Guard pulled from the border. What a B.S. artist Arnold is!
...
Buzzm1 wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:53 PM:Arnold speaks with forked tongue on the illegal immigration issue. CA, as everyone knows, has, by far, the largest number of illegal immigrants of any state in our United States.
Yet, Arnold, and the CA Legislature, haven't passed one iota of legislation to curtail the flow of illegal immigrants. Nothing, NADA, so his "acting" as if he is concerned, holds no water, as far as CA citizens are concerned, and yes, I am one.
CA has a 14.5 billion dollar state budget deficit, all of which can be atrributed to the costs incurred by illegal immigrants. It costs CA taxpayers 10 billion dollars just to pay for the education of over 1 million illegal immigrant students. Boo Arnold, BOO!!
Concerned-1 wrote on Feb 26, 2008 2:49 PM:Bobby, I agree with you about Arnold. My point with the media was they are not covering all the narco associated crime such as the daily kidnappings, beheadings of law officials and more. I used to love to go to Mexico, but no more. Further more, I'm afraid that mentality is headed norte. National Guard now.
Bobby wrote on Feb 26, 2008 3:05 PM:Buzzm1, I couldn't agree with you more, and instead of recieving respect by the utterly stupid Republicans in this state wherever he shows up, he should be booed. This is even more true of Democrats who disagree with the massive illegal immigration in Californai. Feinstein, Boxer, Harmon, Pelosi, Molina, Sanchez sisters, Solis, Romero,etc., just to name the women, should all be taken down a couple of notches for doing nothing but --having a good time in office while California disintegrates. Can you say sickening?
Bobby wrote on Feb 26, 2008 3:15 PM:Concerned-1, they aren't even covering the crime associated with Mexican drug gangs in California. A retired Los Angeles Mexican detective, did a whole expose on this about two years ago. He made it clear how many politicians in office in various California cities were involved with the drug lords. Did anyone listen. Not Chief Bratton,or Sheriff Baca, apparently, since I haven't heard or seen anything involving any big investigations or prosecutions. The used tire places, rinky dink restaraunts, etc. so many being used to launder drug money. What a farce this state has become. Well, to be fair, even Chief Bratton knows it, that is why he advised Californians to "leave the state if they don't like it." Why does he get paid anyway? Just another go along to get along and get my pension type clown. Teach your children how things really work in a corrupt society and do them a favor.
Bobby wrote on Feb 26, 2008 3:21 PM:Forgive me but my last thought on all of this is, while Schwarzenegger is trying to get the California taxpaying legal residents to believe that he is trying to secure the border, I just read a story listed above this one that another California politician, Democrat Nancy Pelosi,is trying to get amnesty and open borders. Can you say loony? See how they play with the taxpaying citizenry? I'm dropping politics as a hobby. It is a waste of time when you have a nation full of traitors. Life is too short, and if the majority of Americans want it all to go to h-ll, too bad, isn't it?
Patriot wrote on Feb 26, 2008 3:27 PM:NG at the border in a non-enforcement role is a joke. From the NCT Feb. 23: "In an inaugural three-day sweep that ended Friday, Escondido police took into custody 15 criminal illegal immigrants, people who have been formally deported from the country only to return." Long stretches of the border are wide open like revolving doors. Deport someone and he is back within a few days.
Daves wrote on Feb 26, 2008 3:42 PM:The annual cost to taxpayers is about $22 billion a year according to Center for Immigration Studies and the tax burden will grow -- because 15 million more immigrants are set to arrive by year 2017 according to their latest research.
More than 10 million immigrants have arrived since year 2000; it is estimated that nearly 6 million are illegal. All told, the group of immigrants now account for 38 million at the moment according to the White House's own census bureau.
This is all you need for nationwide information:
...
Demand your representatives sign the "SAVE ACT"
Rep. Heath Shuler�'s (D-N.C.) SAVE Act now has 145 bipartisan signers in the House and Senate. The SAVE Act will require all employers to use the electronic verification system to keep illegal aliens out of U.S. jobs.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the number of jobless Americans with nore more than a high school degree increased by 2 million between 2000 and 2005. During that same time, Congress imported 1.5 million immigrants without high school degrees. Not surprisingly, wages for these immigrants and native-born workers without a high school degree have plummeted. The cheap labor lobbies may want to do away with immigration law, but they can never rescind the law of supply and demand.
NumbersUSA believes that this legislation is just the vehicle to give us a chance to actually pass immigration legislation through a Democratic-controlled Congress that could significantly improve the lives of most Americans. "It's the one [immigration] bill that will pass this Congress," said Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus Chairman Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) in an interview with The Hill. "We have to make this about illegal employment and crack down on employers."
Free faxes at ...
Roberto1 wrote on Feb 26, 2008 4:42 PM:Get rid of the border patrol...using the services is much more cost effective. Union jobs at the border serve no logical purpose.
Erik wrote on Feb 26, 2008 7:06 PM:I hear plenty of promise from Washington D.C.; and with time after hearing hear plenty of promise, I see no results. This is just one of most everything I hear from Washington D.C.;
and this is independent of who is president, Clinton or Bush. When did government quit "can do" to plenty of talk "this" then "no can do"?
Amused wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:06 PM:I like the part where Eduardo puts his words, "the military's contributions may be overstated." in some unknown union mans mouth.
"Like, man, we don need no help."
help me in LA wrote on Feb 26, 2008 10:10 PM:In LA everyday I witness on the Wilshire bus a ridership of 88% plus new immigrant riders. Who is employing these 1000's of riders? Oh, imy guess, all of the major retailers....hiring on the cheap! It is bad, hombres! While I wait for the bus I am privileged to see the other new immigrants driving to their jobs, non-legally of course... It is worse than you can imagine! Getting worse too.
mimi76-TulsaOK wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:36 PM:Just to let you know the folks here in Oklahoma are fed up with the lack of effort and/or efficiency our gov't has had with regard to the illegal immigration issue. OK passed HB1804 requiring all businesses to verify a prospective employee's residency status. I just moved here late last summer and the problem is worse than I thought it would be here!...
Jimi wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:06 AM:More empty promises, like the 6000 agents they "promised" to hire? I don't believe anything these professional polititians say, it's about what they do, and that's not much.
Give them all the boot in November, remind them of who they work for. Then we can harrass the rest into an early retirement. Remember who's responsible for this mess, they are and they must pay for their mistakes.
Hmmmm wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:41 AM:How much do we save on labor, produce, and travel industry costs? Should we be paying for National Guard and cutting education?????????
Hmmmmmmmm wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:55 PM:How much do we save in education costs if we stop would-be illegal immigrants at the border? About $10,000 per year for each child not enrolled in a California school who would otherwise be enrolled in a foreign country's school paid by that country's taxpayers.
David ... wrote on Feb 27, 2008 4:03 PM:Yeah that's all good. But where's the state of the art security fence that we've been promised these last eight years since the disgraceful GW Bush has been in office?
Anything less than a circumvent-proof, state of the art fence with hi-tech infrared monitoring devices ON TOP of an ADDED 10,000 Border patrol Agents is just lip service for an election year.
BOGUS ARNOLD! ABSOLUTELY BOGUS!
Thanks to GW Bush our country has been turned into a third world country and lawlessness is everywhere.
If anyone out there is foolish enough to vote for the AMNESTY KING MCcCAIN YOU must want to see your country go to waste.
Send the GOP a message. Vote for anyone other than GW Bush's stooge. Bush had an agenda that he tried forcing down our throats and IF you give the rat McCain the same opportunity, he'll do the same.
Don't give the Republican rats the same opportunity to destroy our country.
To David wrote on Feb 27, 2008 4:17 PM:Do you endorse anyone other than McCain, really? Has Obama promised you your state-of-the-art fence and 10,000 additional border patrol agents? Has any candidate?
Joseph K. wrote on Feb 27, 2008 5:50 PM:Obama is totally open borders. Totally. He said so a million times. Did Americans who voted for him listen to anything at all that he has been saying? This brings one to another point.
Is Jay Leno actually not acting and does he question real people who are not acting and are citizens of this country? If he isn't acting and these people really are starkly dumb Americans, then we all know why Americans are again stuck with three "winners" as presidential
candidates. Must be a subconscious death wish for the nation. Only by electing someone that the establishment hates, like Congressman Dr. Ron Paul,(there are others) would Americans have seen, firsthand, how enslaved they really are, as he tries to carry out the radical program everyone really knows is needed to fix this nation. Don't look to Hillary, Obama or McCain for anything new, unless it's something new and disastrous.
Realist wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:51 PM:3000 more border patrol agents is a good start but SO MUCH MORE needs to be done. We need to keep the National Guard there to provide assistance and we need to keep them fully equipped. Now let's see if our political leaders have the gumption to actually follow through with their promises instead of passing the buck.
Mike wrote on Mar 4, 2008 3:52 PM:I want the National Guard to be "armed" and allowed to stop; capture and detain any illegal aliens they find.
With the Mexican military escorting drug smugglers over our border into the USA, our National Guard needs to have permission to engage and stop them! (not pulling back and letting them pass, as they are now!)
Jeff wrote on Mar 4, 2008 3:55 PM:California NEEDS to pass laws like the one in Arizona and Oklahoma! If any state needs extra-strong laws agianst illegal immigration.....it is California!
Our $14 BILLION state debt would be paid for by all the "entitlements" that would not be mooched by state illegal aliens!
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