Monday, May 15 2006 10:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: US lawmakers have not taken too kindly to reports that President George W Bush is considering sending the National Guards to secure the country's border with Mexico and stem illegal migration.

Bush is expected to announce his decision on the issue and other immigration-related proposals in a televised speech to the nation tonight even as the US Senate resumes debate on the controversial immigration reform bill.

But National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley played down the idea that deploying National Guards along the 2000-mile border with Mexico amounted to militarisation of the border.

In a television talk show yesterday (May 14, 2006), Hadley said this had to be seen as a "stop gap" mechanism until the Border Patrols are able to deal with the problem.

No final decision has been taken on sending troops to the border, he told CNN.

"This is something that's actually already being done. It's not about militarisation of the border. It's about assisting the civilian border patrol in doing their job, providing intelligence, logistics support and training and these sorts of things," Hadley said.

According to one estimate, the Border Patrol apprehended some 1.2 million illegal immigrants trying to cross the border but some 500,000 others had evaded capture.

In a telephonic conversation with Mexican President Vicente Fox yesterday, Bush said thorough immigration reform was needed to solve the problem affecting both countries.

But the idea of using the National Guards to secure the border has raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill with at least one influential Republican Senator also questioning such a move.