Trump: 2,000-4,000 troops needed for Mexico border security

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants to send between 2,000 and 4,000 National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border to help federal officials fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but it wasn't clear who would be called up or if they would even be allowed to carry guns. Trump's comments to reporters on Air Force One were his first estimate on guard levels he believes are needed for border protection. It is lower than the 6,400 National Guard members that former President George Bush sent to the border between 2006 and 2008. Trump said his administration is looking into the cost of sending the troops to the border and added "we'll probably keep them or a large portion of them until the wall is built." Earlier Thursday, Ronald Vitiello, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's acting deputy commissioner, cautioned against a rushed deployment. "We are going to do it as quickly as we can do it safely," Vitiello told Fox News Channel. He said that guard members would be placed in jobs that do not require law enforcement work, an apparent reference to undertaking patrols and making arrests. The Republican governors of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas have backed the deployment but it was unclear Thursday how Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown would respond to Trump's call...MORE