Border Bandaid

From the El Paso Times - LAS CRUCES -- An additional 72 New Mexico National Guard soldiers began a 10-month deployment Wednesday along the state's border with Mexico. Their assignment began after they received special training and were certified by the U.S. Border Patrol. The soldiers are part of President Barack Obama's order to send 1,200 National Guard soldiers to the Mexican border with New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and California. The presidential order came after many reports of violence, allegedly by illegal immigrants from Mexico, and the soldiers were required to be on the border by Wednesday. But few, if any, of those reports of violence involved New Mexico, and state officials said it has been rather quiet along the state's approximately 180-mile border with Mexico. They want it to stay that way. "Violence along the New Mexico-Mexico border is a major concern, and we are taking steps to ensure the safety of our citizens," Gov. Bill Richardson said. "I am pleased that New Mexico is one of the first of four border states to have our guardsmen trained and fully operational along the border following the president's order for additional troops." Read more here:

Border Bandaid