Feb 6, 2007 By Patty Yauger 4 min read

Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a three-part series about Operation Jumpstart and the role of the Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard in the joint program on the U.S./Mexico border.YUMA, Arizona – A U.S. congressman is praising the success of Operation Jumpstart, a federal initiative that has put 6,000 National Guardsmen, including several local soldiers, on the U.S./Mexico border, but more needs to be done to secure the area. “The reports that I am getting are very positive,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, of the participation of the Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard. “I still believe that if we would have put 10,000 or 15,000 (total guardsmen), it would be a greater success.”

The two-year federal program deploys volunteer National Guardsmen from across the country for a 90-day tour of duty to assist the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency in various capacities, including surveillance, analyzing intelligence, installing fences and vehicle barriers, building roads and providing training.

More than 100 state guardsmen are participating in the mission, including soldiers from the 1/110th units based in Connellsville Township, Mount Pleasant and Waynesburg.

It is estimated that there are 12 million illegal immigrants now living in the U.S. and how to address those that are in the country and stem the illegal flow through the borders continues to be a battle for members of Congress.

“It is unfortunate, but we have got to build physical barriers to stop the large number of illegals that are coming over from Mexico into the U.S.,” said Shuster. “There is no substitute for putting up a wall or barrier across that border.”

The U.S. must also enforce immigration laws, he added.

Shuster said he advocates the distribution of biometic cards – those that scan the face, fingerprint or eye iris – to verify the identity of the cardholder, for those that have legally entered the U.S.

“If people don’t have the card, they won’t be able to work here,” he said.

The registration process for those wanting to live and work in the U.S., also needs to be streamlined, said Shuster.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Web site, each year the agency receives up to 8 million applications and petitions.

In the first quarter of 2006, nearly 308,000 employment authorization applications were reviewed and approximately 12,800 applications for certificate of citizenship were received.

The application fee for citizenship is $330 while to become a permanent resident costs $325.

“We need to speed up the application process for those that want to come here and for those we need to be here,” said Shuster. “Some of the reason people come here illegally is because it takes so long to get through the legal process.”

As Congress continues to debate the issue, if the border patrol determines it needs to extend Operation Jumpstart, Shuster said that he would support the initiative to keep the National Guard on the border.

The program now calls for the number of guardsmen to be cut to 3,000 by July.

“It is critical to this nation, from a national security standpoint, that we control our borders,” he said. “We need to stop the terrorists and stop the people coming illegally through the border.”

On a typical day, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency apprehends 3,257 people attempting to gain entrance without going through the appropriate process.

According to the Department of Homeland Security Web site, of the 208,521 foreign nationals formally removed from the U.S. in 2005, those from Mexico accounted for 69 percent of the total followed by Honduras and Guatemala citizens.

In the same year, the department removed 89,406 criminal aliens from the U.S. with 77-percent of them being Mexican citizens.

In October, President George W. Bush signed into law a measure that calls for the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the 2,100-mile U.S./Mexican border.

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 gives Homeland Security 18 months to improve surveillance and make needed improvements to halt the illegal traffic at the border.

Shuster, meanwhile, said that he will continue to monitor the border activity and the needs of the border patrol agency.

“We need to take every measure possible to keep our nation safe,” he said.

Through his press secretary, U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D- Johnstown, declined to comment about Operation Jumpstart and the immigration issue.