Since April, when National Guard troops began their “observe and report” mission on America’s southern border, more than 10,800 illegal immigrants have been arrested as a direct result of their presence, Corry Schiermeyer, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told the Washington Examiner on Monday. President Donald Trump approved the deployment on April 4.
Since the guardsmen are not law enforcement, they cannot apprehend or arrest illegals crossing the border, but they can observe and report intrusions to the Border Patrol, who can then swoop in and make the arrests. In addition to catching people trying to enter the United States illegally, National Guard troops also intercepted more than 3,300 people who turned back prior to crossing the border. Their intervention has also resulted in the seizure of 11,686 pounds of marijuana.
Currently, approximately 1,600 troops are assigned on various missions along the border with Mexico, less than half of the 4,000 troops authorized by Defense Secretary James Mattis in early April. In addition to patrolling the border, Guard troops are also monitoring remote surveillance systems, which frees up Border Patrol agents to get out into the field rather than being tethered to their desks.
Guard troops are also assisting with air support and some border infrastructure projects, such as clearing vegetation and road improvement. Troops are not authorized to assist in building the proposed border wall. Border Patrol and National Guard officials have referred to the deployment of the National Guard as a “force multiplier.”
All four border states — Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California — have sent troops to lend a hand on the border, although California Governor Jerry Brown has limited the scope of California’s troops. In a letter to Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Brown stated, “But let’s be crystal clear on the scope of this mission. This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws.”
At least Governor Moonbeam agreed to send the troops.
In the war against illegal immigration, the deployment of the National Guard began to pay dividends almost immediately. In early May, it was reported that only a month into the deployment, the National Guard had assisted in the capture of over 1,600 illegal immigrants. Imagine the results if the Guard’s presence is more than doubled to the recommended 4,000 troops.
The current deployment is funded through the end of fiscal year 2018, which occurs on September 30. As of yet, no plans have been announced to extend the deployment.
Officials with the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) and the National ICE Council — unions representing the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents — have praised the addition of the National Guard troops on the border, but also claim it isn’t enough to stop illegal immigration.
Brandon Judd, the president of the NBPC, called out Congress in early April, stating, “They need to pass laws to end the catch-and-release program that’ll allow us to hold them for a long time,” Judd said, referencing the policy of catching illegal immigrants, then allowing them to leave detention if they promise to show up at immigration court at a later time.
President Trump later echoed Judd’s statement in a tweet: “Border Patrol agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release.”
So, despite the good news that the National Guard deployment is helping on the southern border, Border Patrol and ICE are still fighting bad laws and phony, ginned-up outrage over the separation of families in their attempts to secure our porous southern border.
While the National Guard deployment is not the fancy, high-tech wall that President Trump promised during the campaign, it is a good idea — for now. So long as the Guard’s mission remains one of support, not enforcement. It isn’t an ideal situation, and any increased responsibility given to the Guard risks violating the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. But for now, the citizen soldiers of the National Guard assisting ICE and the Border Patrol is a good thing.
Photo of National Guard soldier observing the Rio Grande: AP Images
