Obama To Cut National Guard Force Stationed At U.S.-Mexico Border
The Administration of President Barack Obama will cut the number of National Guard troops who are patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border by at least half, according to The Washington Times.
According to the newspaper, the main reason for the pullout, reported a Congressman who was briefed on the plan, was the cuts to the Federal budget that are set to take place.
The Times reported that the National Guard said an announcement would be made by the White House “in the near future,” but Representative Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) said slashing the deployment in half would bring the total troop numbers to a minimum amount.
“What’s apparent now is that a decision not to continue their deployment, even though it might be in the national interest to do so, would be based entirely on budget constraints on the Defense Department,” Hunter said in a statement.
The Associated Press reported that this development came at a time when a proposal is being considered that would install kiosks in Big Bend National Park in Texas. This would allow people from the tiny Mexican town of Boquillas del Carmen to scan their identity documents and speak with a customs official more than 100 miles away.
