California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday urged President George W. Bush to maintain full federal funding for an operation aimed at better guarding the border with Mexico.
In a letter to Bush, the governor said the program Operation Jump Start needs more federal funding so the shared goal of a strong and secure border can be realized.
"The combined efforts of the Border Patrol and the California National Guard have proven successful in reducing illegal border crossings and limiting the influx of narcotics and human trafficking," Schwarzenegger said.
In June 2006, the governor issued an order directing the California National Guard to temporarily support federal efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Operation Jump Start is scheduled to end in July 2008, but the operational objective is only half complete: fewer than 3,000 of 6,000 new Border Patrol agents have been added to the force.
In addition, as Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has acknowledged, the goal of recruiting, training and positioning 3,000 additional federal agents along the southwest border will take more time and last until the end of calendar year 2008.
The partnership between the U.S. Border Patrol and the National Guard has seen notable successes at the southwest border.
In its supporting role, the National Guard has been instrumental in assisting the U.S. Border Patrol in the seizure of more than 250,000 pounds of narcotics, the apprehension of 124,000undocumented immigrants and the training of 2,900 new agents since the launch of Operation Jump Start, said the governor.
The California National Guard, in particular, has constructed and maintained tactical border infrastructure, provided aviation observation and conducted intelligence analysis. The Guard's presence has returned Border Patrol agents to the border, allowing them to perform their law enforcement duties.
"Most importantly, this increased presence on the border acts as a critical deterrent to the entry of terrorists," Schwarzenegger said.
"In light of these successes and the strong partnership forged between the U.S. Border Patrol and the California National Guard, we cannot afford to jeopardize the safety and security of our fellow Americans by removing personnel prematurely," he noted.
With full federal funding, "I will continue to offer the support of the California National Guard to maintain security at the border to ensure a smooth transition until these new federal agents have adequate operational control," he said.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article