I Ran U.S. Border Patrol—And I Support Trump's Call to Deploy the National Guard
Critics have assailed the president’s decision to send troops to the border. But they can provide additional assistance and resources to agents in times of need.
In 2006, as the national chief of the Border Patrol, I welcomed the assignment of roughly 6,000 National Guardsmen to serve as a force multiplier to the then-9,000 Border Patrol agents on duty along the U.S.-Mexico border. It was the right call to make at the time. The influx of drugs, illegal immigration, and criminal organizations was overwhelming the agency, and cartel violence was at its peak on the south side of the border with Mexico.
Some have criticized
