I hope his sending the NG to the border isn’t another farce similar to GWBush’s putting 6,000 NG on the border — to file paperwork and wash BP vehicles.
Perry has a chance to step up and show some real backbone. If he starts to waver, he might as give up on 2016.
In the last few days a small number of Guard have been deployed to Hidalgo County. They are there to man observation towers. The towers normally have equipment that can warn of suspicious river/border activity but do not have actual human eyes observing the scene. Now they do. The Hidalgo County officials say having humans there is better than mere equipment and they welcome it.
However, this is not part of Perry’s 1,000 Guard to the Border surge. That will begin as a trickle but build up over the next few weeks. That surge is intended to combat Narco-trafficking and other criminal element activity, that has increased because the Border Patrol has been overwhelmed with duties related to the surge of illegals from Central America that simply cross and walk up to agents and surrender.
I don’t know the exact rules of engagement the Guard will have. Rumors were they would include detention and arrest. The arrest part could not be confirmed but it appears they can detain someone while waiting for their disposition. Not saying they won’t “arrest”, but probably detain for local LE is just as good.
This not a mystery, TG.
We don’t have to wonder and hope and cast about in our imaginations about Perry “wavering” or not, or showing “backbone” or not, or “stepping up” or not.
We don’t have to set up straw men then wait to see if they get knocked down or not.
Perry has a record over many years of using Texas DPS and other resources to try to disrupt the criminal activity along the border. What has happened with the massive increase in illegals walking over the border and surrendering en masse is not Perry’s fault and he cannot stop it. But those border incursions have tied down resources that would otherwise be focused on criminal activities and the Guard presence is to ameliorate that.
THE GUARD WILL WORK CLOSEST OF ALL WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Perry’s record is available at his official website.
Numerous news stories are available on this latest use of the Guard and how it fits in.
However, the right President and Congress could completely change this Border travesty. It better not be Hillary or some other Dem, or a GOP RINO, and Congress better toss the totally failed “leaders” it has on the GOP side, and more Ted Cruz types must get there, or we are done.