US to send 1,500 troops to Mexico border as early as May 10 - Pentagon
The 1,500 active duty US troops being sent to the border with Mexico will start arriving as early as May 10, the Pentagon said on Tuesday
Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters that even as the troops were being sent, the Pentagon was looking at ways to replace the active duty personnel with those potentially from the reserve force.
Ryder confirmed the troops are being deployed in preparation for a possible rise in illegal immigration when Covid-19 border restrictions lift later this month.
The 90-day deployment of active-duty troops will supplement the work of the US Border Patrol but not carry out law enforcement duties, Pentagon said. They will conduct ground-based monitoring, data entry and warehouse support to free up border agents and fill critical capability gaps.
The force will be in addition to the ongoing deployment of about 2,500 National Guard troops.
The so-called Title 42 restrictions, set to end on May 11, allow US authorities to rapidly expel non-Mexican migrants to Mexico without the chance to seek asylum.
Biden, a Democrat running for reelection in 2024, has grappled with record numbers of migrants caught illegally crossing the US-Mexico border since he took office in 2021.
Republicans have criticized Biden for rolling back the hardline policies of Republican former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for his party's nomination. Some Democrats and immigration activists also have lambasted Biden for gradually toughening his approach to border security.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, when asked about the troop deployment in a news conference, said the US is a sovereign nation and that Mexico respects its decisions.
US military troops have been used to help secure the border during previous presidential administrations, including Republican George W. Bush, Democrat Barack Obama and Trump, who deployed thousands of active-duty and National Guard troops.
Pentagon leaders have long been frustrated about military deployments to the border, privately arguing that the mundane tasks are better suited for law enforcement agencies and can affect military readiness.
Immigration advocates have criticized previous efforts to send troops to the border.
Reuters
