A report on illegal immigration being drawn up by the Justice Department for Attorney General Janet Reno may contain a recommendation that National Guard troops be posted along the nation's borders.
The report is being crafted from responses to Justice Department queries to the agencies involved in patrolling and monitoring the borders.One of the more controversial elements among the responses is a discussion on the use of National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a source within the Justice Department.
Reno, questioned Thursday about the progress of the report, would not confirm that the responses included a request for National Guard assistance. She did say, however, that she had met with National Guard officials to gather information on how their troops are currently being used in anti-smuggling operations.
The National Guard is being used by the U.S. Customs Service along the Southwest border and in Florida to inspect cargo.
If National Guard troops become one of the report's recommendations - and if Reno decides to include it in her response to illegal immigration - it could lead to a massive buildup of manpower along the Rio Grande, currently guarded by the Border Patrol.
The report is also expected to include recommendations on how to make the Border Patrol more effective, such as adding personnel and improving training and adding high-tech electronic monitoring.
Reno - who requested the report following an inspection trip to Southern California last month - said she has not seen the report, though it is being reviewed by her highest subordinates.
She said she will chair a meeting "as soon as possible" on the report's recommendations once they are complete.
Border security has become a hot political topic, particulary in California, where Gov. Pete Wilson has said that illegal aliens have put an impossible strain on state and local governments.