Plan for National Guard at Border Gains Support : Illegal immigration: Gov. Wilson and Border Patrol officials now say they favor Sen. Boxer’s proposal to deploy the troops in a supporting role. But federal funding still must be approved.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is expected to win a significant concession this week in advancing her controversial plan to deploy National Guard troops on the Mexican border as part of an emerging federal crackdown on illegal immigration.

Despite initial skepticism, Gov. Pete Wilson and U.S. Border Patrol officials now say they are looking favorably at utilizing the Guard in a supporting role similar to a proposal Boxer offered in July.

But a number of barriers, including the level of federal funding, must be cleared before troops are assigned to the San Diego-Tijuana border.

Boxer succeeded in getting language inserted into the Senate’s $239-billion defense appropriations bill that would allow the Guard to provide unspecified border-related activities. The Senate began considering the legislation last week, and no opposition to the Boxer plan is anticipated.

“This is really the spark plug to get things started,” Boxer said in an interview. “This would be the first time in history that the National Guard is used to help bolster the border.”

The Boxer plan has evolved from a temporary, low-cost initiative to a larger effort involving the deployment of full-time Guard personnel. When she announced her proposal, Boxer said Guard troops would be assigned to spend their 15 training days per year working alongside Border Patrol agents.

Boxer suggested that 4,000 California Guard troops be assigned to spend their annual commitments on the border, increasing staffing during each eight-hour shift by one-third.

National Guard officials reacted unenthusiastically to the plan, saying it would distract the agency from its primary mission of preparing for wars, civil disturbances and natural disasters. Others in the Wilson Administration opposed Boxer’s suggestion that Guard troops accompany federal agents on patrol of the border.

“The initial statements (by Boxer) were done without recognizing the ramifications,” said one California National Guard official, who requested anonymity. “It appears her latest language allows a lot more flexibility and freedom.”

Boxer said she envisions the Border Patrol utilizing National Guard personnel to perform “desk work,” surveillance and other administrative functions to free more agents for front-line assignments. The legislation would leave decisions on deployment and strategy to the border states that seek federal assistance.

Wilson’s representatives recently met with California National Guard officials to discuss how troops could be utilized at the border. They are considering offering a plan to the Pentagon if the legislation is approved, Wilson spokesman Dan Schnur said.

“We think she’s moving in the right direction,” Schnur said of Boxer’s plan. “The fact that she is talking in the area of using them as support for current efforts shows a better understanding of the problem.”

The Border Patrol welcomes the idea of support from the National Guard, whose troops are helping construct fences along the border in San Diego. But patrol commanders want the National Guard’s role limited to replacing agents in such non-enforcement work as guarding and transporting prisoners, clerical jobs and maintaining vehicles.

“In a support mode, it’s ideal,” said Gustavo De La Vina, chief agent in the Patrol’s San Diego sector. “But in an apprehension mode, I don’t support that. The language barrier is my main concern. . . . They’d have to receive a lot of training were we to attempt something to that effect.”

The Senate defense bill would furnish “not less than $2 million” for Border Patrol-related activities conducted by the Guard, subject to Pentagon approval of applications submitted by governors of border states. The money would come from the same federal funds used by the Guard to assist law enforcement in anti-drug operations. In California this year, $19 million was spent on various drug interdiction efforts by Guard troops.

If California is to utilize the Guard on the border, the Clinton Administration must demonstrate a commitment to pay for added troops, Schnur said. “We haven’t seen that yet,” he added.

Because the defense appropriations bill passed by the House does not contain the Boxer language, a compromise must be worked out by a House-Senate conference committee before the provision becomes law. Then it must be approved by the Clinton Administration, which has indicated support for the Boxer plan.

Times staff writer Sebastian Rotella contributed to this article.