More Border Resources Seen Coming to Texas

Texas officials are optimistic that more technology and more resources will be dedicated to security the Texas-Mexico border under new Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who made his first visit to Texas on Tuesday, 1200 WOAI news reports.

  "We're seeing more equipment and more personnel coming in," said U.S. Rep Henry Cuellar, who represents a long stretch of the border.  "We are hoping that will continue."

  Johnson was told during his stop in Brownsville on Tuesday that the deep south Texas region now has more illegals crossing than any other region along the Texas-Mexico border.

  Johnson was also told that the bulk of today's illegals aren't Mexicans, they are from Central America and even from Asian countries.

  Cuellar says under previous Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Arizona got the bulk of the border protection resources.  Napolitano is a former governor of Arizona.

  But Cuellar says resources have now been promised to Texas.

  "New Border Patrol folks are being transferred to the Valley," he said.  "Also, the balloons with the cameras are being transferred to the Rio Grande Valley."

  The budget signed by President Obama last week includes funds to hire 2,000 additional customs officers at the nation's ports of entry.  Cuellar and other Texas officials are optimistic that more of them can be stationed in Texas as well.

  Border businesses have long complained that the lengthy process of clearing customs is dissuading Mexican shoppers from making spending trips into Texas.