Days after Mexican President Felipe Calderon visited the White House, President Barack Obama announced the sending of 1200 troops to the border to impose control and security in the area. According to news sources, the sending of soldiers is temporary, with the objective of carrying out anti-drug missions, while civilian agency personnel are being trained.
The White House denies that the measure is in response to Arizona's SB1070 law. They claim that the National Guard troops are not to militarize the border or to fight immigration, but the action alarms pro-immigrant groups. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) announced its opposition to the military deployment to the border.
Today the Senate rejected a Republican amendment introduced by Senator John McCain (R-AZ), which proposed sending 6,000 National Guard troops to the border.
The deployment of troops to the border is being interpreted as a gesture by Obama to gain Republican support for immigration reform. However, so far no Republican supports it.
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