Attorney general seeks to tighten U.S. borders

WASHINGTON -- Attorney General John Ashcroft said Sunday the addition of several hundred National Guard members and military helicopters at U.S.-Canadian crossings will improve border security and speed the flow of trade.

Tighter security since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks meant the U.S. government had to transfer Immigration and Naturalization Service agents from other duties to man checkpoints along the 4,000-mile border.

But more thorough inspections have resulted in "congestion around the border that hurt both nations," Ashcroft said.

It is the world's largest trade partnership, worth more than $1 billion a day. Ashcroft noted many U.S. automakers rely on parts made in Canada.

"We don't want to be shutting down our automotive industry because we don't have a fast enough inspection process," he said.

The Justice Department said an initial deployment would send 419 National Guardsmen to 43 land, sea and air ports of entry in a dozen states.

To bolster security in the wake of the attacks, the INS sent 120 inspectors to border checkpoints.

The addition of the National Guard would boost INS efforts along the northern border and allow those extra workers, who "have been working super-long hours," to return to their regular duties.

Before the National Guard addition, Ashcroft said, the U.S.-Canadian border has been guarded with about 500 U.S. agents, compared to about 9,000 along the Mexican border that is about half the size.

The National Guard also will supply helicopters, intelligence analysis and training, threat assessments and additional personnel, the Justice Department said.