The withdrawal, which the Department is characterized as a “transition”, will start in January and be completed by March. Some lawmakers told CNN the number of National Guard troops at the border will be deducted from 1,200 with responsibility mainly on the ground to 300 that will support the Mission of the border in the air.
But some lawmakers criticized the move, saying conditions in the goodness of the border southwest of more troops, not less.
Deployment of 1,200 troops was “not enough to start with,” even though they do good job they can, Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, told CNN. Poe said the United States has “operational control” just 44 percent of its southwestern border.