A new piece of legislation, named the "Defend Our Borders from Armed Invaders Act," was presented to Congress on Thursday by a group of Republican lawmakers.
The bill, if passed, would empower the National Guard to use lethal force against armed individuals attempting to cross the southern border into the United States.
The bill was introduced by freshman Representative Morgan Luttrell, a Republican from Texas, and has since been forwarded to the Committee on Armed Services for further review. The full text of the legislation has not yet been made public, but a brief description of the bill indicates that it would authorize the National Guard to take "such actions as may be necessary to repel persons attempting to enter the United States from Mexico who are carrying weapons, and for other purposes."