Trump plans to deploy the National Guard to the US/Mexico border
The White House is moving forward with its intentions to enforce immigration restrictions at the U.S. border
Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced Wednesday that Donald Trump will sign a proclamation directing agencies to deploy the National Guard to the southwest border.
“The President has directed that the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security work together with our governors to deploy the National Guard to our southwest border,” Nielsen said during a press briefing.
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Nielsen said troops could be sent to the border as soon as Wednesday night, but governors of those border states will have say over it as well. No other details, including troop numbers troops, how long they will be deployed, how much it will cost were announced.
Spurred by tweets
The formal move follows days of public complaining by Trump on Twitter about immigration policy. He was recently tweeted about a supposed “caravan” of dangerous migrants making its way through Mexico to “take advantage of DACA”, threatened to leave the North American Free Trade Agreement, and complaining about what he calls weak border laws.
Despite his tweets about caravans of drug-smuggling migrants, border crossing numbers have been historically low, and a study from DHS last fall determined the border was at its most secure ever.
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This would not be the first time that National Guard troops would be deployed to the Mexican border. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama deployed Guard troops to aid in marijuana seizures.
Federal law prohibits the military from being used to enforce laws, In the past, Guard Troops served in support roles like training, construction and intelligence gathering.
