To alleviate U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), President Donald Trump in April requested that states send the National Guard to the border. While California and pro-amnesty states hesitated or outright refused, other states picked up the slack, and Americans know it\u2019s working.<\/p>\n
California is the home to many people who agree with common sense immigration laws, but Governor Jerry Brown is not one of them. When he finally responded and agreed to send<\/a> the National Guard to his state\u2019s border, he insisted that troops would \u201cnot be enforcing federal immigration laws.\u201d National Guard troops don\u2019t carry out arrests or apprehensions in any event. The troops are facilitating surveillance<\/a> and other support duties.<\/p>\n The four states on the southern border are major points of entry for illegal aliens, so they should be the states worried the most about protecting the border. Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico answered<\/a> President Trump\u2019s call quickly and sent their National Guardsmen. Other states that joined in sending the National Guard include Alabama<\/a>, Mississippi<\/a>, and soon Massachusetts<\/a>. Missouri<\/a> even sent National Guardsmen before California.<\/p>\n At least Governor Brown begrudgingly sent troops on behalf of his state. The governors of some states, such as Nevada<\/a>, Montana<\/a>, and Oregon<\/a>, openly defied the request of the president and are refusing to provide any supplemental assistance at the border.<\/p>\n But even without the help of most states, the National Guard presence on the border is proving effective<\/a>. CBP is apprehending illegal aliens crossing the southern border at a faster rate now, with 1,600 illegal aliens arrested at the border from mid-April to early May with the help of the National Guard.<\/p>\n How do Americans feel about sending the National Guard to the border?<\/p>\n According to Reuters, 55 percent<\/a> of U.S. adults think that, for the short term, sending the National Guard is the correct decision. The governors resisting President Trump\u2019s immigration policies need to listen to the people. Americans are paying $116 billion<\/a> a year because of illegal immigration, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform. They understand the effect this is having on their pocketbooks.<\/p>\n What is needed now is action from Congress to fund a border security fence and other measures to deter people from attempting to enter the country illegally.