The US Defense Department has announced it would deploy around 320 additional troops to the southern border with Mexico to support immigration officials.
The troops, set to deploy until the end of September, will add to around 2,900 active duty military and 2,000 National Guard members currently posted to the border.
Of the 2,000 National Guard members, a UH-72 Lakota helicopter and its crew of soldiers out of Tupelo are assisting with efforts on the border.
Mississippi Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-4), chairman of the National Guard and Reserve Caucus and member of the Mississippi National Guard, in a hearing for the House Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security Tuesday, discussed the impact of the National Guard on the southwest border with acting secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, Kevin McAleenan.
