Bush Orders 6,000 Guard Troops to Mexico Border

President Bush, in a nationally televised address, tonight called for the immediate, short-term deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to support Border Patrol agents in preventing illegal immigration.

The troops will be under the control of the governors of California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona and will "assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems, analyzing intelligence, installing fences and vehicle barriers, building patrol roads and providing training," according to President Bush. "Guard units will not be involved in direct law enforcement activities --- that duty will be done by the Border Patrol."

Bush stated that the Guard troops would initially be committed to the border for one year, after which time their numbers would be reduced as additional Border Patrol agents become trained and equipped. The President also called for a rapid increase in the number of Border Patrol agents.

The President also outlined his plan to combine tougher border enforcement with a guest-worker program to accommodate persons Bush said "who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life."

"We are a nation of laws, and we must enforce those laws," said the President. "We are also a nation of immigrants, and we must hold that tradition, which has strengthened our country in so many ways." [Official White House transcript]

Also See:
Bush Backs Immigration Reform
Illegal Immigration Costs California $10.5 Billion Annually
Why the Federal Government Can't End Illegal Immigration
Securing America's Borders Act - A New Immigration Bill