New Mexico's new attorney general has asked the federal government for more funds and additional federal agents to protect the border.

Gary King, just two months into his first term as New Mexico's top law enforcer, said the border is a troubled area suffering from a series of violent crimes.

This week he asked the U.S. attorney general for help.

"They have to keep their promises to spend the kind of money necessary to have federal resources on the border," King said.

"The federal dollars for crime enforcement have actually dropped. We're trying to encourage the federal government to bring us up that level."

King is also pushing for more border agents and for more high-tech surveillance equipment near the U.S.-Mexico divide to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing.

Bush administration critics in Washington contend the best way for the federal government to protect the New Mexico border is to build a border fence.

John Keeley of the Center for Immigration Studies said, "Now more so that ever, we have an all-time high illegal alien population. We have a real crisis on our hands with the porous nature of our border."

King said he opposed the border fence and would prefer the government spend money to train more border agents.

With regard to the federal funds for New Mexico, the administration has cut about 60 percent of the money for local prosecutors to help combat crimes.

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