According to the McAllen Monitor, a newspaper covering South Texas, Gov. Rick Perry is expected to announce that he will be sending 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to the Rio Grande Valley near the Texas-Mexico Border.
Perry is hoping to deter the influx of illegal crossings by staging troops in South Texas.
During his meeting with President Obama last week, Perry asked the president to commit additional national guardsmen to the Rio Grande Valley as a way to show the U.S. was committed to border security. When that request was not answered, Perry indicated the state of Texas would act alone.
The McAllen Monitor cites an internal congressional memo outlining Perry’s plan to gradually increase the number of National Guard troops along the border until it reaches 1,000. The additional National Guard deployment is expected to cost $12 million per month.
