“Protecting Our Borders

Last year [1995] I introduced legislation that would authorize the Pentagon to redeploy American troops stationed in Europe to assist federal law enforcement officials patrolling America’s Southern border. Every day dangerous criminals pour into our country through our border with Mexico—unchallenged.

My bill authorizes the Secretary of Defense–at the request of the Attorney General–to transfer up to 10,000 American troops stationed in Europe back to the United States to assist the Border Patrol and the Immigration and Naturalization Service in preventing illegal aliens, drug traffickers, and terrorists from entering our country. The bill would also allow American troops to assist the Customs Service in inspecting cargo, vehicles, and aircraft at points of entry into the United States.

Let’s be candid. The Border Patrol has only 3,800 personnel to guard the two longest borders of one of the largest countries of the world. Reports indicate that, at any given time, only 800 patrolmen are available to protect our 2,000 mile border with Mexico. Congress has failed to provide funding to enlarge the Border Patrol, and until Congress can find the money, this military option is the best short-term way to address this shortage of personnel.

We have hundreds of thousands of troops deployed throughout the world protecting European, Asian, and Latin American nations. If the Pentagon can send hundreds of thousands of American troops to protect our allies, it should be able to spare 10,000 military personnel to protect America.”…

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Added: “Mexico would have died…without the option to send its rural poor-fully one-fifth of its population-to the United States.” 6/19/2013, Spengler