Brown commits 400 troops to the border, but not for immigration activity
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown has agreed to send 400 National Guard troops to the California-Mexico border, but only to deal with transnational crime and not immigration.
President Donald Trump, reacting to a spike in immigrants attempting to cross the border in March, asked state governors to commit National Guard troops to shore up border enforcement until his proposed wall can be built.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis approved paying for up to 4,000 National Guard personnel from the Pentagon budget through the end of September.
“Your funding for new staffing will allow the Guard to do what it does best: support operations targeting transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers along the border, the coast and throughout the state. Combating these criminal threats are priorities for all Americans — Republicans and Democrats,” Brown said in his response to the Department of Defense and Homeland Security.
He also made it clear in his response that the California National Guard will not get involved in any immigration enforcement as border crossings are at the lowest they’ve been in decades.
“Let’s be crystal clear on the scope of this mission. This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws,” Brown said. “Here are the facts: There is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California. Overall, immigrant apprehensions on the border last year were as low as they’ve been in nearly 50 years.”
Although federal law prohibits use of active-duty service members for law enforcement inside the United States unless specifically authorized by Congress, National Guard troops have been deployed to the border under previous administrations to bolster security and to assist with surveillance and other support.
County Supervisor for District 1 John Renison told the Imperial Valley Press and Adelante Valle he doesn’t believe the deployment is necessary.
“The reality is that you don’t need them since they can’t detain anyone,” Renison said. “My opinion is to let CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) and Border Patrol do their jobs and that’s the way it should be.”
Calexico Mayor Maritza Hurtado told Adelante Valle on Tuesday that based on the previous deployments made in 2006 and 2010, she doesn’t think the decision will have a big impact in the region.
“I really don’t feel it is impactful for the city of Calexico or the community itself,” Hurtado said. “In my view, I don’t believe there is a crisis with regard to any special circumstances that might be occurring. Being in a border community doesn’t necessarily mean we’re in a war zone.”
According to a spokesperson from the governor’s office, the deployment of troops will take place “as quickly as possible, pending federal review and approval” The announcement made on Wednesday didn’t specify how those troops would be distributed. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that in previous instances, it took the state several weeks to deploy troops: 77 days after President George W. Bush made a request in 2006 and 58 days after President Barack Obama made a similar request in 2010.
Sen. Ben Hueso, who criticized the Trump’s call to deploy troops at the border last week, also issued a written statement following the governor’s announcement expressing his concern about how such actions could hinder the state’s relationship with its southern neighbor.
“While I echo the sentiments of the governor and key advocates that the California Guard must be deployed in such a manner that is not disruptive to community life, and enhances the state’s efforts to combat crime and keep Californians safe, I remain understandably dubious about the true motivations behind the Trump administration’s decision to request National Guard troops be sent to the border,” Hueso said.