Texas Guard to organize observation post along border to spot suspicious entry

Army Times:

The roughly 1,000 Texas Army and Air National Guard troops being dispatched to the U.S.-Mexico border will not be tasked with apprehending illegal immigrants, said the adjutant general of the Texas National Guard.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has mobilized the National Guard in response to a flood of undocumented children fleeing to the U.S. from war-torn countries in Latin America, including El Salvador and Honduras.

The Guard’s mission, which is expected to begin within 30 days, will involve guardsmen establishing listening and observation posts along the border and using helicopters with infrared sensors to alert the Texas Department of Public Safety if they see illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S., said Air Force Maj. Gen. John Nichols.

“We’re going to be in observation posts, so we won’t be patrolling,” Nichols told Military Times. “If we see people cross the border then we’re going to call the DPS to go interview them.”

While the total number of guardsmen taking part in the mission has not yet been set, it is expected to be close to 1,000, Nichols said. In addition to the Army and Air National Guard, the mission may involve the Texas State Guard, a separate entity which falls under Nichols’ purview.

As with previous missions to the border, the guardsmen will be armed, Nichols said.
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The Guard will basically supply the force to space ratios sufficient to spot infiltration attempts and then notify DPS when needed.  The presence will also act as a deterrent to those who attempt to sneak into the US.