Texas Governor Rick Perry to deploy troops to US border

The governor of Texas has ordered 1,000 National Guard troops to the US border with Mexico to protect against what he described as criminals, human traffickers and drug cartels.

Rick Perry, a Republican, said he had to act because the federal government had failed to secure the border.

Mr Perry said the troops would work alongside law enforcement.

The move comes after a surge of unaccompanied Central American children crossed the border illegally.

More than 57,000 children, many fleeing gang violence and extreme poverty at home, have crossed the border since October.

In a news conference, Mr Perry said criminals would see the influx of children as an opportunity to be exploited. And he said that more than 203,000 "criminal aliens" had been held in Texas jails since 2008.

"There can be no national security without border security, and Texans have paid too high a price for the federal government's failure to secure our border," said Mr Perry, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 and has been named as a possible contender in 2016.

"The action I am ordering today will tackle this crisis head-on by multiplying our efforts to combat the cartel activity, human traffickers and individual criminals who threaten the safety of people across Texas and America."

The Texas National Guard deployment will cost the state of Texas as much as $12m (£7m) per month.
'Militarising the border'

President Barack Obama, a Democrat, has called for comprehensive immigration reform that would provide some path to legal status for the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the US as well as strengthen security at the border.

In response to the recent flood of illegal-immigrant children, Mr Obama has asked Congress for $3.7bn to hire extra immigration judges, provide drone surveillance of the border, and fund medical services. Republicans in Congress rejected the request.

In Texas, a spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party accused Mr Perry of "photo-op politics" that ignored the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

"Local law enforcement, elected officials, and faith and community leaders in the Rio Grande Valley have expressed concerned about militarising the border, the need to create a short-term humanitarian solution, and solving the long-term need for comprehensive immigration reform," Emmanuel Garcia said.

"Today, Governor Rick Perry ignored those voices."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28414189

Those children are so violent after walking across a desert, some of them dying from dehydration, those troops will feel so big and brave!

please don't blame the troops sassy - its not their fault.....blame the politicians please.

Cass wrote:please don't blame the troops sassy - its not their fault.....blame the politicians please.

Sorry Cass, I know it's not their fault, they go where they are told, but I was just so angry that this is being done against children.

Sassy wrote:

Cass wrote:please don't blame the troops sassy - its not their fault.....blame the politicians please.

Sorry Cass, I know it's not their fault, they go where they are told, but I was just so angry that this is being done against children.

I understand.....there is a legitimate underlying issue but again its the politicians who are to blame not these children, pictures of people surrounding the buses shouting hate and abuse is one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen BUT I understand people being pissed off....and its very annoying when one does it properly and pays the fees and waits to do it legally like we have done for Mr. C (who has his ceremony soon - Yay). I know they need help, I know they are not criminals or drug gangs but normal people who want a better life and a safer life but you just cant do it this way.

the politicians have GOT to pull their fingers out of their asses and reform the immigration process and make the path to citizenship better. there is still plenty of room here still but there has to be a LEGAL process.

Cass wrote:

Sassy wrote:

Sorry Cass, I know it's not their fault, they go where they are told, but I was just so angry that this is being done against children.

I understand.....there is a legitimate underlying issue but again its the politicians who are to blame not these children, pictures of people surrounding the buses shouting hate and abuse is one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen BUT I understand people being pissed off....and its very annoying when one does it properly and pays the fees and waits to do it legally like we have done for Mr. C (who has his ceremony soon - Yay). I know they need help,  I know they are not criminals or drug gangs but normal people who want a better life and a safer life but you just cant do it this way.

the politicians have GOT to pull their fingers out of their asses and reform the immigration process and make the path to citizenship better. there is still plenty of room here still but there has to be a LEGAL process.

I agree, but once again, stuck in the middle of anything are the innocents just trying to get a better life. All over the world, it makes my blood boil. Glad Mr C is having his, but I thought he was American and you were English and went out with him, I must have got that wrong lol.

nope he is from north of your border and I'm the yank

I agree about innocents but sadly the wrong uns have turned it into the old one rotten apple ruins the whole barrel type of thing....

Cass wrote:nope he is from north of your border and I'm the yank

I agree about innocents but sadly the wrong uns have turned it into the old one rotten apple ruins the whole barrel type of thing....

Ahhh!   You had me confused.com lol

Don't forget, "The Hair" Perry is running for president again, and he hasn't forgotten about the Republican base booed him about in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants ... now he's got to try to look tough     

Ben_Reilly wrote:Don't forget, "The Hair" Perry is running for president again, and he hasn't forgotten about the Republican base booed him about in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants ... now he's got to try to look tough     

well DUH.

Cass wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:Don't forget, "The Hair" Perry is running for president again, and he hasn't forgotten about the Republican base booed him about in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants ... now he's got to try to look tough     

well DUH.

For the benefit of the non-U.S.ians here

Somebody has to take control.  

Who is trafficking the children in, I doubt very much it will a voluntary org and the passage and travel is free.......

gerber wrote:Somebody has to take control.  

Who is trafficking the children in, I doubt very much it will a voluntary org and the passage and travel is free.......

Most of the children are still coming with their families, etc, but the problem (or grace) is that they are being kept by the immigration authorities due to a 2008 law designed to prevent trafficking in under aged children. In order to deter the trafficking, the children are taken and held until a judge can determine their fate. So, they are collecting on the border.

Of course, Republicans want to turn that around and say the evil ones are amassing at our borders. That is where Rick Perry is coming from.

He is such a fool that he doesn't realize that the National Guard has no jurisdiction with regard to these children. Hence, they have no authority to stop them, no authority to question them, and no place to put them should they decide to hold them. They have no authority to institute action should they wish, and hence no judge to hear and/or determine anything.

In response to such criticism, Perry says they will pose a "presence." Excuse me? Big men, with guns, and heavily armored vehicles, wearing heavy armor and clothing, sweating in the hot desert sun, all performing the service of a "presence?' Pretty expensive presence, if you ask me. But, that's a Texas problem...the US government won't be picking up the tab.