Utah troops deployed to the Mexican border as part of President Bush's latest effort to stem illegal immigration will get a visit Monday from their commander in chief — Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

Huntsman was already scheduled to be in Arizona to attend a three-day meeting of the Western Governors' Association that begins Sunday. On Monday afternoon, he plans to head down to Yuma to spend an hour with the troops.

"Our men and women are working to help secure our border, and I am looking forward to meeting with them," Huntsman said in a statement. "The security of our borders must be our first and foremost focus."

The governor also said he wants "to express my sincere thanks to the troops for all of their hard work."

That's something the troops like to hear, said Maj. Hank McIntire, spokesman for the Utah National Guard.

"It means a great deal anytime your commander in chief goes to where you're performing your duty, looks you in the eye and shakes your hand. It means the world to you," McIntire said. "It gives the soldiers a chance to showcase what they're doing for the governor."

Some 55 soldiers of the 116th Construction Support Equipment Company, 489th Engineer Detachment and the 147th Engineer Battalion were deployed June 3 for two weeks of work with the U.S. Border Patrol.

Their job is to improve a dirt road, fix fencing and install wiring for new lighting along the border about 25 miles from Yuma. Guard troops are not being used for patrols or other law-enforcement duties.

They were among the first troops sent as part of President Bush's new Operation Jump Start, announced in May. The plan to send 6,000 troops to the border is intended to ease opposition to his proposed guest-worker program, aimed at illegal immigrants from Mexico.

Huntsman has taken the lead on the immigration issue with his fellow Western governors, putting together a resolution that included support for increased border enforcement that was endorsed by the WGA and sent along to Congress.

Immigration will be one of the topics discussed by the governors at their annual meeting in Sedona, and Huntsman is expected to offer an update on Mexican President Vicente Fox's recent visit to Utah.

Because Huntsman was already scheduled to be in Arizona, the governor decided to take the opportunity to see firsthand the troops in action at the border, said his spokesman, Mike Mower.

"Last year, Gov. Huntsman and other Western governors issued a call to action to the federal government in addressing the concerns about illegal immigration," Mower said. "His visit to the border on Monday will help demonstrate that progress is being made on this important issue and Utahns are playing a significant role."

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who co-sponsored Huntsman's immigration resolution and who now heads the WGA, has already visited and thanked the Utah troops.

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