National Guard Border Presence to Be Reduced

WASHINGTON — When the number of National Guard troops stationed at the Mexican border is reduced next year, their duties are expected to shift from being on the border to flying above it.

[See the latest political cartoons.]

About 1,200 troops now help Border Patrol agents spot illegal border crossers and human and drug smugglers. The office of Rep. Michael McCaul said Wednesday the contingent is expected to be cut by about half. The Texas Republican opposes reducing the guard force at the border.

A federal official briefed on the new strategy said the reduced force will focus its efforts on aerial surveillance. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been announced.

Defense Dept. spokesman Lt. Col. Robert L. Ditchey said officials are still working out details of the future of Guard troops at the border.

• See a collection of political cartoons on immigration.
• Read about Obama's four ways forward on immigration.
• Read the U.S. News debate on building a fence on the U.S.-Mexican border.

Reader Comments Read all comments (1)

Add Your Thoughts

Comment Name State Select One AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY International Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Incorrect please try again

Enter the words above: Enter the numbers you hear:

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.