[Desert Sun] In southern Imperial County, opinions on President Donald Trump's plan to send the National Guard to the United States-Mexico border are as divided as the tall fence separating the two nations. Governor Jerry Brown is still reviewing the president's request, which some in this region say could help increase safety in the region; others worry it will inflame tensions between the two nations.
In El Centro, the largest city in the Imperial Valley, several customers said they supported the idea.
"We only live 11 miles from the border, so you don't really want to take any chances," said longtime resident Steve Trease. He said he worked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection for more than two decades.
In a presidential memorandum issued last week, Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon to develop a plan to tighten security along the southern border. He also called on governors of southwestern states to send National Guardsmen to the border.
Trump said the country's security is threatened by illegal drugs, gang activity and extensive illegal immigration. The number of people caught trying to illegally cross the Mexican border last year was the lowest since 1971, according to Homeland Security.
The order came less than a week after Trump ranted on Twitter about a caravan of more than a thousand Central American migrants that was making its way through Mexico. |