The governor of the U.S. state of Texas said he is planning to send 1,000 troops from the state's National Guard to its southern border with Mexico to boost security during a surge in illegal immigration by children.
Governor Rick Perry said Monday the guard troops are necessary because the influx of unaccompanied children illegally entering the United States has diverted resources away from the federal border patrol.
He said the decision was made after repeatedly asking the Obama administration to send National Guard troops to the region and getting no positive response.
More than 57,000 children, mostly from Central America, have illegally crossed into the United States since October, triggering a political and border crisis in the country.
Perry is regarded as a potential Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential race and has been a vocal critic of the White House's response to the influx of child immigrants.
Earlier this month, President Obama asked Congress for $3.7 billion in emergency funding to deal with the immigration surge of unaccompanied children.
Republicans in Congress have not approved the money and say Mr. Obama's immigration policies have encouraged the flood of children across the border.
The president, along with the U.S. Senate, has championed immigration reforms that would allow the 11 million immigrants already in the United States
illegally to eventually obtain American citizenship. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is opposed and says it will not vote on the issue this year.
