Perry Announces Details Of Texas National Guard Border Deployment

Conservative HQ ^ | 7/22/2014 | CHQ Staff

[xzins]

On July 3, 2014, Texas Governor Rick Perry told Members of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security that urgent federal action was required to stem the humanitarian and national security crises unfolding along the Texas-Mexico border.

After almost three weeks of inaction by the Obama administration, yesterday, Gov. Perry directed Texas Adjutant General John Nichols to immediately begin preparations for the deployment of up to 1,000 National Guard troops to the U.S. – Mexico border. These troops will support the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) ongoing law enforcement surge, Operation Strong Safety, which is focused on combatting criminal activity in the region resulting from the federal government’s failure to adequately secure the border.

In his testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security Perry said that, “The rapid influx of illegal immigrants has strained border resources that were already insufficient to the task at hand. Officials who should be guarding the border are dealing with the overflow instead of fulfilling their primary tasks.

“As a result, the border between the U.S. and Mexico is less secure today than at any time in the recent past, which is why we ordered the new surge.

“We know that drug cartels and transnational gangs are already seeking to take advantage of the situation, attempting to circumvent security and spread pain and suffering on both sides of the border through their criminal activities.

“We're also in danger at the hands of those who might be slipping through from countries with known terrorist ties. With a range of potential threats facing us from abroad, this is not the time to turn our attention elsewhere.”

Since 2008, more than 203,000 criminal aliens have been booked into Texas county jails. Over the course of their criminal careers, these individuals have committed more than 640,000 crimes in the state of Texas alone, including more than 3,000 homicides and nearly 8,000 sexual assaults.

“There can be no national security without border security, and Texans have paid too high a price for the federal government’s failure to secure our border,” Gov. Perry said. “The action I am ordering today will tackle this crisis head-on by multiplying our efforts to combat the cartel activity, human traffickers and individual criminals who threaten the safety of people across Texas and America.”

This deployment builds upon Operation Strong Safety by providing additional personnel that will work seamlessly and side by side with law enforcement officials. It also builds on the National Guard’s existing border presence, which has been utilizing air assets to patrol the region looking for illegal activity.

Texas has already seen results from Operation Strong Safety – from week 1 to week 3 of operations, apprehensions of illegal immigrants have dropped by 36 percent, from more than 6,600 per week to 4,200 per week in the area of operation.

Perry’s office has said the Guard will largely play a role of “deter and refer” – deter border crime by their visible presence along the border and refer illegal acts, including border crossings, to law enforcement. They don’t plan to apprehend illegal immigrants, though, technically, they could, said Texas Adjutant General John Nichols.

The Texas Guard will also assist with humanitarian needs of migrants who may approach them and ask to be taken to a Border Patrol station. The Guard will be equipped with water, most will have lifesaving skills, and they will call immediately for medical help.

Two weeks ago, Gov. Perry met with President Barack Obama to discuss the ongoing humanitarian and national security crises occurring along the Texas-Mexico border. At this meeting, the governor reiterated his request for the president to activate 1,000 Title 32 National Guard troops to temporarily support border security operations until 3,000 additional Border Patrol personnel can be trained and deployed. Unlike the governor’s activation which will be paid for by Texas taxpayer dollars, a Title 32 activation would have provided additional, federally funded personnel to be used at the state’s discretion.

[TADSLOS]

He NEVER really does anything, or supports anything that would stop Illegal Immigration, even when it is in his power to do it, whether it is supporting e-Verify, a Border Fence, AZ1070, or now, in the midst of this crisis, using the National Guard to actually stop the flow of Illegal Immigrants into Texas.

These are not the actions of a leader, but someone that wants to create an impression that he is strong on an issue, when he really isn't.

Those who do not have a criminal record will now be allowed to stay and further burden our county and they will eventually be criminals themselves when they perform the usual ID fraud that they all do.

Or, they will simply swell the ranks of Democrat voters who will be granted Amnesty.

Stopping those with a pre-existing Criminal Record should not be the focus. Stopping all Illegal Aliens should be. I'll not take part of his P.R. game when he knows he should do the right thing and refuses to do it.

THIS.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

We need the Duke!!!!

[bigbob]

Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

“Period”

[Coldwater Creek]

I agree with you. Let’s just set on our big butts and do nothing. That is a sure way to control the illegals. Yep!

[xzins]

What have the governors of Arizona, California, and New Mexico done...don’t they want to look good, too?

[grania]

Why don't some other states pitch in?

I think particularly of Susan Martinez, the gov of NM. Occasionally there are cheerleaders on this site for her as VP. If she were a real conservative instead of being in on the migrant hordes taking over the SW US, she'd have the National Guard protecting her state.

[Lexinom]

Govs Susana Martinez (NM) and Jan Brewer (AZ) ought to follow suit, leaving California as the only remaining unguarded entry point.

That A) puts political and economic pressure on California to do something; and B) highlights through concentration the endgame of the Obama regime through its kinship with the California consensus political worldview.

[Gritty]

The Guard needs to treat the invaders like the invaders they are. They should impound them in segregated POW camps and hold them until the war is over. The ones running drug operations, shooting, or armed should be dealt with using live ammo and confiscation or destruction of their equipment just like you would any other hostile combatant.

In 30 days the border would be quiet again.

[Lexinom]

I’m a Martinez fan and hope she will see fit to take some action on this issue. Her state is, after all, New Mexico, and I’m sure as a Mexican American who has worked hard and realized the American dream she wants to retain that key distinction from old Mexico.

[Ditter]

I have driven on the dirt road along New Mexico’s border with Mexico. There was nothing but a rusty barbed wire fence that was falling down. It would not have kept a cow inside. Not a border patrol in sight .............

I don’t hear anyone bashing the NM gov.

[veracious]

Hurrah for Texas; and a major hole plugging for USA.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

FOX Radio News this morning said that the Texas Guard was going to give the “migrants” food and water, and then turn them over to the Border Patrol.

Since these “migrants” are already turning themselves over to the Border Patrol on their own, isn’t the Texas National Guard going to be just a middle man?

FOX said the National Guard wasn’t going to force them back into Mexico. I wish they would....sorry if I’m sounding “heartless,” Gov. Perry.

[deport]

Since these “migrants” are already turning themselves over to the Border Patrol on
their own, isn’t the Texas National Guard going to be just a middle man?

************

The border situation is a multifaceted problem. Illegals and drugs are two of the
largest, imo. From some reports I've read I believe the guard is going to be used
to some extent in drug interdiction. Just my read and I may well be incorrect.

[Resolute Conservative]

This is SOP. Back in the day when the NG helped with drug interdiction programs they were not empowered to arrest, only to spot and report. They were armed to protect themselves, but they can be called by an LEO for backup and then take part in arrests. If they embed an LEO with them (like we did) then they can detain and arrest.

[SoConPubbie]

What have the governors of Arizona, California, and New Mexico done...don’t they want to look good, too?

Not part of this argument xzins. I don't care what they have done or not done.

I am not interested in half-measures by someone running for POTUS who has a history of being "Open-Borders". I will not be used like this. I would have had more respect for Perry if he had actually decided to APPREHEND ALL Illegals and simply return them to the Border station.

But he does not want to do anything like that because either he is too afraid of how that might look to some voters, or, he is simply Rick "Open Borders" Perry as his past actions and words on this subject prove: or both.

[Logical me]

The Constitution suggests that the National Guard when repelling an invasion can even use lethal force.

Yeah, that will never happen. Mexico runs America's border and the Guard or any Texas law enforcement use rubber bullets and they will probably yell "Go Back". Lost faith in America.

[Lil Flower]

>> FOX said the National Guard wasn’t going to force them back into Mexico. I wish they would....sorry if I’m sounding “heartless,” Gov. Perry.<<

Sounds like he’s just wasting Texas’ money.

[Kenny]

Why don’t some other states pitch in. Come on Gov Fallon, that is one tax I wouldn’t mind paying.

This is where we separate the leaders from do-nothings. All border Governors should follow Governor Perry's lead and lock down the damn border.

I know, it's all about dollars but they must have an air-tight case to sue the Feds for reimbursement. Though admittedly, I'm not a lawyer so could be wrong which wouldn't change my opinion that it needs to be done, as a show of solidarity against Obama.

[xzins]

I’m thinking back to the last presidential campaign, and I was a Perry supporter along the way. I think I became at one point in time a supporter of just about every candidate who was opposing Romney. (Except Johnson and some other yahoo I don’t remember....they never really counted anyway.)

Perry DID make ‘dream act’ comments, but I never heard open border comments from him, or I wouldn’t have supported him....that’s one of the things I flamed GW Bush on.

I know that many see ‘dream act’ concessions as being full-blown amnesty, and I see that argument, and I see that letting a kid have his foot in the door eventually gets his whole family in the door.

However:

1. Many of us didn’t really start figuring out our own positions on amnesty until GW Bush hit us with it along about 2005 wasn’t it?

2. Many of us didn’t know that the Chamber of Commerce was playing silent propaganda partner at the time and clandestinely skewing the conversation against controlling the borders...or doing anything at all.

So, I’m cutting Perry a break IF his future actions prove he means it. I said that once about Romney in 2008, I believe, when he claimed to be pro-life, pro-family, etc. He immediately went off the wagon with pro-gay and pro-choice comments, so I wrote him off.

Perry gets another chance. (So does Rubio.) I want them on the conservative side. Other than this issue, they are pro-life, pro-God, pro-family, pro-gun, pro-small government, pro-middle class jobs, pro-entrepreneurial conservatives. I’d like to find a way to keep them and not lose them.

[Kenny]

He NEVER really does anything, or supports anything that would stop Illegal Immigration, even when it is in his power to do it,

He's doing 100% more than ANYONE else.