CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!Mar 24, 2011 7:19 PM
TUCSON - Arizona Senator John McCain says the National Guard troops put on the border, last August are not done with the job.
He says for our security they need to stay in place longer than planned.
As part of President Obama's plan to beef-up border security, 1,200 National Guard troops were deployed to the U.S. Mexico border.
The first of 532 troops started arriving in Arizona back on August 30th. The Department of Homeland Security says they will leave as scheduled on June 30th.
Senator McCain toured the border along with four Arizona congressmen. Thursday morning, they were in Nogales and Douglas, Thursday this afternoon they were in Yuma.
Senator McCain says, "We are all disturbed by the recent announcement by the Department of Homeland Security that they will be withdrawing the National Guard. Every place we go and we talk to people on the border and we hear that the work the National Guard is doing has been vital and it needs to be increased rather than decreased."
A bill passed and signed last year spells out what will happen once the troops leave.
According to an email from the Department of Homeland Security, "Specifically, this bill provided funding for improved tactical communications systems along the southwest border; two additional CBP unmanned aircraft systems; 1,000 new border patrol agents; 250 new CBP officers at ports of entry;250 new ICE investigators; and two new forward operating bases to improve coordination of border security activities."
For Congressman David Schweikert, the tour was an eye-opening experience. "It's a combination of learning what the facts are what's folklore, what's working and the disturbing reality of just how violent," he says.
Everyone agreed they would go back to Washington and make their views known.
Congressman Paul Gosar says, "We have to make sure we are making those decisions based here and not in Washington D.C. We still see that same thing being dictated from D.C."
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