Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Obama to send extra troops to bolster US-Mexico border
The move follows border states' calls for help curbing illegal immigration US President Barack Obama is to request an extra $500m in funding and send up to 1,200 troops to help secure the US-Mexico border, US officials say.
The National Guard troops would be sent until the US can recruit and train additional agents to serve there, an administration official said.
The move follows pressure from US border states for action to help curb illegal immigration and drug violence.
Last week Mexico's president urged the US to work with him on such issues.
Addressing the US Congress, Felipe Calderon said he was confident his country would defeat drug gangs with help from the US.
He also asked Congress to reform US immigration policy and criticised a new Arizona law requiring police to question suspected illegal migrants.
Limited success
The shooting of a rancher in Arizona in March has prompted fears that Mexican drug gangs are becoming increasingly active in the US.
President Obama has condemned the controversial law in Arizona but he is now acting to calm the fears that lie behind it, says BBC North America Editor Mark Mardell.
In his address to Congress, Mr Calderon asked for help on stopping the flow of weapons across the border, saying that 80% of recently seized guns could be traced to the US.
More than 22,000 people have been killed in Mexico since Mr Calderon came to power, most of them in drug-related gun battles.
Mr Calderon has deployed 50,000 soldiers to help quell the violence, but so far with limited success.
Under the Merida initiative, the US promised Mexico and other Central American countries $1.3bn (£910m) to help train and equip their security forces.
But US State Department figures show less than 10% of that amount has actually been delivered to Mexico.
Obama to send extra troops to bolster US-Mexico border
The move follows border states' calls for help curbing illegal immigration US President Barack Obama is to request an extra $500m in funding and send up to 1,200 troops to help secure the US-Mexico border, US officials say.
The National Guard troops would be sent until the US can recruit and train additional agents to serve there, an administration official said.
The move follows pressure from US border states for action to help curb illegal immigration and drug violence.
Last week Mexico's president urged the US to work with him on such issues.
Addressing the US Congress, Felipe Calderon said he was confident his country would defeat drug gangs with help from the US.
He also asked Congress to reform US immigration policy and criticised a new Arizona law requiring police to question suspected illegal migrants.
Limited success
The shooting of a rancher in Arizona in March has prompted fears that Mexican drug gangs are becoming increasingly active in the US.
President Obama has condemned the controversial law in Arizona but he is now acting to calm the fears that lie behind it, says BBC North America Editor Mark Mardell.
In his address to Congress, Mr Calderon asked for help on stopping the flow of weapons across the border, saying that 80% of recently seized guns could be traced to the US.
More than 22,000 people have been killed in Mexico since Mr Calderon came to power, most of them in drug-related gun battles.
Mr Calderon has deployed 50,000 soldiers to help quell the violence, but so far with limited success.
Under the Merida initiative, the US promised Mexico and other Central American countries $1.3bn (£910m) to help train and equip their security forces.
But US State Department figures show less than 10% of that amount has actually been delivered to Mexico.
____________
June 6, 2006
Troops start Mexico border duty
The US has deployed a first contingent of National Guard troops along its border with Mexico.
This is part of an operation aimed at curbing illegal immigration.
Some 55 soldiers from the Utah National Guard took up positions along border points with Mexico. They will be joined by 6,000 more in the coming months.
The issue is dividing the US, provoking fierce debate in Congress between Republicans and Democrats on how stringent the measures should be.
The soldiers' job is to help secure the border rather than arrest immigrants, and to free up border agents to catch illegal immigrants.
"Our mission here is to provide a structure to support the border patrol," Maj Hank McIntyre told the AFP news agency.
They will help to extend a border fence and construct a new road to be used by border patrols.
"Our main task is construction. They're working on three different construction projects," Maj McIntyre said.
The governor of the state of Washington, Chris Gregoire, says she will not send any of her state's National Guard troops unless they choose to serve there.
The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, only agreed to commit troops after the federal government said it would carry the full cost of their deployment.
Protests
The deployment, named Operation Jump Start, was announced by President Bush in May as part of his immigration reform plan.
Measures include extending a fence along the Mexican border and increasing the number of patrols along it.
They are part of a package approved recently by the US Senate.
The package also contains provisions for a guest-worker programme and for offering citizenship to some illegal immigrants.
Another, tougher immigration bill has been backed by the House of Representatives, which calls for all illegal immigrants to be criminalised.
The Senate bill will need to be reconciled with the tougher House of Representatives bill to be passed into law.
Right-wing groups have protested against illegal immigrants, while millions of people marched in support of them last month.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/5051720.stm
June 6, 2006
Troops start Mexico border duty
The US has deployed a first contingent of National Guard troops along its border with Mexico.
This is part of an operation aimed at curbing illegal immigration.
Some 55 soldiers from the Utah National Guard took up positions along border points with Mexico. They will be joined by 6,000 more in the coming months.
The issue is dividing the US, provoking fierce debate in Congress between Republicans and Democrats on how stringent the measures should be.
The soldiers' job is to help secure the border rather than arrest immigrants, and to free up border agents to catch illegal immigrants.
"Our mission here is to provide a structure to support the border patrol," Maj Hank McIntyre told the AFP news agency.
They will help to extend a border fence and construct a new road to be used by border patrols.
"Our main task is construction. They're working on three different construction projects," Maj McIntyre said.
The governor of the state of Washington, Chris Gregoire, says she will not send any of her state's National Guard troops unless they choose to serve there.
The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, only agreed to commit troops after the federal government said it would carry the full cost of their deployment.
Protests
The deployment, named Operation Jump Start, was announced by President Bush in May as part of his immigration reform plan.
Measures include extending a fence along the Mexican border and increasing the number of patrols along it.
They are part of a package approved recently by the US Senate.
The package also contains provisions for a guest-worker programme and for offering citizenship to some illegal immigrants.
Another, tougher immigration bill has been backed by the House of Representatives, which calls for all illegal immigrants to be criminalised.
The Senate bill will need to be reconciled with the tougher House of Representatives bill to be passed into law.
Right-wing groups have protested against illegal immigrants, while millions of people marched in support of them last month.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/5051720.stm
