President’s Call for 1,200 More National Guard is Insufficient
 

For too long in Washington, the issue of border security has fallen off the radar. In communities along the 1,200 mile border that Texas shares with Mexico, however, the effects of a porous border are constantly evident.  The violence associated with narco-terrorism, drug and arms trafficking, and human smuggling threatens the safety of local communities in Texas and other border states, and it undermines our national security. Preventing and responding to these challenges is stretching our border forces and law enforcement officials thin. An aggressive strategy to halt illicit activity and the spillover of violence into the U.S. is long overdue, and I am working with my colleagues to make border security an urgent national priority.

As well as modernizing our surveillance tools, we must bolster border forces so there is adequate manpower to protect the border and respond to illegal activity. The Department of Homeland Security has 17,000 personnel assigned to the southwest border. Well under half the agents – about 7,700 – are currently assigned to Texas, even though 63 percent of the border runs through our state. Arizona only has 4,000 agents.  Every border state needs more support.

To help address this, I authored an amendment that directs deployment of 6,000 National Guard to the southwest border. This would raise our National Guard presence to Operation Jumpstart levels. Under the amendment, the National Guard would help CBP get operational control of the Southwest border, and it would augment our security forces until we are able to hire and train more dedicated Border Patrol agents.

Shortly after my colleagues and I introduced our amendments, the President announced a proposal for increased border funding. After deemphasizing border security and even proposing to cut forces on the southwest border, this was a welcome shift in policy. Border Senators and Congressmen have repeatedly called on the President to focus on this challenge.

I am disappointed, however, that the President has only called for an additional 1,200 National Guard to be sent to the southwest border. I believe this falls considerably short of meeting our dire need for more forces. Texas alone has requested 1,000 National Guard – spreading 1,200 National Guard over four states is an insufficient response. Adequate National Guard support is critical to helping control potential spillover violence and addressing all our security challenges until we have more CBP agents ready to handle threats on our border. The 6,000 agents that would be deployed under our proposal is a much more aggressive—and appropriate—response.

Unfortunately, our border security amendments failed in the Senate bill. But we will continue working to provide the tools, manpower, and resources needed to protect the border. I have invited the President to join me on a tour of the border communities that are being impacted by this crisis, and that offer still stands. I would welcome the opportunity to show him firsthand the security challenges our border officials and local law enforcement are facing in Texas. Across the nation, the effects of illegal activity are seeping into American communities. This is why securing our borders cannot just be a Texas priority. It must be a national priority, and I call on my colleagues and the administration to urgently address this challenge.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is the senior U.S. Senator from Texas and is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

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