Report on the Texas Border National Guards – Washington Post – Apparently – Perry’s Plan Works

Pre Troop Deployment - Border Crossings in Texas - image from KUT.org

The first of the National Guard deployed by Governor Rick Perry (TX) - are a bit bored, according to the Washington Post article. The fact that they are watching one of the most heavily trafficked areas, and seeing nothing suggests that someone has done something right.

In further reading the interviews that the article brings to light midway through the article one finds that those who are opposed to the beefed up military presence on the border are far fewer than those that are grateful.

For example: :

The charm of living near cattle ranches and mesquite trees that make up large portions of the Rio Grande Valley is steadily evaporating, residents say.

“It’s all different. I think the United States is a police state now,” said Javier Peña, a former police officer in Rio Grande City who had just finished breakfast at the Texas Cafe.

(Washington Post)

However, the one detractor was far outweighed by those grateful for the presence: :

“Will the border ever be secure? The answer is that it could be. But the federal government needs to get off the side, get in the game and be a real player and stop pretending,” said Rio Grande City Mayor Ruben Villarreal, whose community has seen the brunt of border crossing and drug smuggling.

“When these women and children were crossing our border, it opened all of our eyes up,” Villarreal said. “They’re the more delicate, the more fragile in our society, and they were walking across our border like they were just going through turnstiles at a baseball game.”

Over the years, drug traffickers and others headed north have trekked across his land, with Escobar and his workers usually trying to ignore them. Recently, he said, two men with rifles showed up near his irrigation pump, ordering Escobar’s workers to clear out because there was different work to be done there that night.

He said he realized how faulty his mind-set had become when the Central American children began appearing on the riverbank, followed now by soldiers with semiautomatic pistols strapped to their fatigues — embodiments of what has become an often surreal lifestyle.

“We’ve been turning this eye away from it for so long that it’s gotten out of control,” Escobar said, adding that he welcomes the National Guard and any other border enforcement. “Now, we can’t handle it. Now, we’re afraid. Now, we want someone else to come in and handle it.”

(Washington Post)

With further tales of severed heads being found, and grateful border residents, the article, which begins by almost suggesting that the national guard is unnecessary – changes to an endorsement of troops along the border. Also of note is the reduction in crossings in Texas during since the deployment of troops was announced by Governor Perry.

Therefore, one might believe that the border crossings have ceased – not so –they have taken to crossing elsewhere, Arizona, New Mexico, and by boat now into San Diego. (Breitbart) Perhaps if there were some sense in these states, (or specifically the Federal Government – troops would be deployed to the entire southern border at this juncture – especially given the fact that one might see an increase of ISIS terrorists attempting entry.