The Border Patrol has said that U. S. National Guard troops being deployed along the border with Mexico will play mostly unseen support roles.

ABC News also reported that as the first of what will be 1,200 troops by early September began heading to the border, U. S. officials dispelled widely held conjecture that armed soldiers will line the 2,000-mile stretch.

Border Patrol Agent Mario Escalante of Arizona's Tucson sector said, "There is a misunderstanding about what deployment means."

Escalante further said that guard members will assist Border Patrol agents and local law enforcement with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support.

Escalante said, "It's starting to unfold; we've gotten several people in. We're starting to look at what we have and where we might need (more troops)."

It was also noted by the report that in May, President Barack Obama authorized the deployment, which includes 524 troops to Arizona, 224 to California, 72 to New Mexico and 130 in command and support positions.

It has also been reported that the beginning of the deployment comes days after Arizona's tough new immigration law took effect, intensifying the debate over immigration in the state and throughout the nation. (With Inputs from Agencies)