Is deploying National Guard to fill Border Patrol gaps worth it?

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Is deploying National Guard to fill Border Patrol gaps worth it?

A new Government Accountability Office report said the success of using National Guard troops to shore up gaps in Border Patrol personnel will depend on how the...

Federal News Network Staff

September 13, 2011 10:04 am

< a min read

The federal government wants to know if it’ll be worth it to post military personnel along the Southwest land border. Some have called for the military patrols to fill personnel gaps while new Border Patrol agents are being hired, trained, and deployed.

A new Government Accountability Office report finds that the cost of moving more defense workers to the border will ultimately depend on how they’re deployed.

GAO said that if Title 32 National Guard forces are used, the cost will depend on whether they’re in-state or out-of-state troops, how many of them are deployed and for how long. They would also not be allowed to make arrests or seizures. Title 10 forces are usually used for counterdrug operations.

However, GAO didn’t make any recommendations for the Pentagon.

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