What a joke! Using our troops for political showboating over a made up crisis. Deplorable!:
The Defense Department will deploy at least 5,200 active-duty troops to the southern border by the end of this week to help harden security there, officials announced on Monday, part of an election-season response by President Trump to hold off a group of Central American migrants moving north through Mexico.
An initial group of 800 soldiers already is heading to Texas from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, according to Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, the commander of the United States Northern Command.
The deployment is the first piece of a multistage approach that Mr. Trump has been considering for several weeks, and which also is expected to include executive action to bar entry to Central Americans, including for those seeking asylum.
“We will not allow a large group to enter the United States in an unsafe and unlawful manner,” said Kevin K. McAleenan, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.
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The number of troops is notable because the migrant caravan, which is still hundreds of miles away, now numbers about 3,500, and is expected to shrink substantially before getting close to the United States border with Mexico. That is far fewer than the number of soldiers the Pentagon said would be deployed.
Administration officials said there were signs that more migrant groups are forming.
“We’ve got to be prepared for the potential arrival of a very large group,” Mr. McAleenan said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/...tion=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage
The Defense Department will deploy at least 5,200 active-duty troops to the southern border by the end of this week to help harden security there, officials announced on Monday, part of an election-season response by President Trump to hold off a group of Central American migrants moving north through Mexico.
An initial group of 800 soldiers already is heading to Texas from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, according to Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, the commander of the United States Northern Command.
The deployment is the first piece of a multistage approach that Mr. Trump has been considering for several weeks, and which also is expected to include executive action to bar entry to Central Americans, including for those seeking asylum.
“We will not allow a large group to enter the United States in an unsafe and unlawful manner,” said Kevin K. McAleenan, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.
Advertisement
The number of troops is notable because the migrant caravan, which is still hundreds of miles away, now numbers about 3,500, and is expected to shrink substantially before getting close to the United States border with Mexico. That is far fewer than the number of soldiers the Pentagon said would be deployed.
Administration officials said there were signs that more migrant groups are forming.
“We’ve got to be prepared for the potential arrival of a very large group,” Mr. McAleenan said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/...tion=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage