WASHINGTON (AP) The House reaffirmed its support Friday for
deploying up to 10,000 troops to guard the border with Mexico and
keep out drugs and illegal immigrants.

On a 261150 vote, the House endorsed an effort by Rep. Jim Traficant,
DOhio, to ensure that the negotiators writing the final version of next
year's defense bill include the troop measure, which was passed in June. The
Senate defense bill contains no such provision.

``I would much rather see my children tonight being defended by American
troops than to be exposed to the drugs and the violent activity that is going
on along the border,'' said Rep. Brian Bilbray, RCalif., whose home is a
halfmile from the border.

But opponents said if more manpower is needed, Congress should find the money
for new Border Patrol agents instead of using troops untrained in law
enforcement.

Traficant's measure is opposed by the Defense Department and the Justice
Department. The Pentagon says such a deployment could cost $650 million.

``The only rational, reasonable way that we are going to combat illegal
immigration, drug trafficking, and all of the associated concerns that we
have about our international borders is to hire additional professional
bilingual agents,'' said Rep. Silvestre Reyes, DTexas, a former Border
Patrol sector chief.

Critics also warned of problems if troops trained for combat are deployed on
covert missions in U.S. communities. They pointed to the fatal shooting in
May of a West Texas teenager by a Marine corporal on a covert drug
surveillance mission.

Under Traficant's measure, troops would be barred from making arrests and
other civilian law enforcement activities. But they could render aid to the
Border Patrol and INS in inspections and detaining illegal aliens. The troops
would be deployed only if the attorney general requested the aid and the
Pentagon agreed to the deployment.