US may send troops to border with Mexico
October 26, 2018
The United States military has received a request from the Department of Homeland Security for between 800 and 1,000 active-duty troops on the US-Mexico border, according to US officials.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to sign the order as early as Thursday, a US official told the Associated Press. The details of the order have not been finalized.
Read more: Migrant caravan 'could not be larger gift' for Donald Trump
The request comes as thousands of Central American migrants continue their trek through Mexico toward the US border.
In a series of Tweets on Thursday, US President Donald Trump told the caravan to turn back and said he is "bringing out the military for this National Emergency."
Support only
The troops would include doctors and engineers and mainly provide logistical support, including tents, vehicles and equipment.
About 2,000 National Guard troops are already assisting at the border under a previous arrangement by the Pentagon. They are mainly serving in a support role to help free up border patrol officers.
US law prohibits active-duty service members from being involved in law enforcement activities on US soil unless specifically authorized by Congress. The president is authorized under some specific statues to deploy troops for riot control or relief efforts after natural disasters.
The caravan of Central American migrants, once estimated by the United Nations to be more than 7,000 strong, stormed Mexico's southern border with Guatemala last week. Most are from Honduras, seeking to escape poverty, violence and government corruption that plagues the region.
Immigration and midterm elections
Since becoming president, Trump has taken a hard line toward immigration, both legal and illegal. One of his campaign promises during his 2016 presidential run was building a wall along the US-Mexico border, a project that has been slow to take off.
The president has made immigration a top issue heading to the midterm Congressional elections on November 6. The caravan has been a rallying cry for Trump, who has accused the Democrats, with no evidence, of organizing and bankrolling the caravan.
Read more: Caravan of migrants tests Trump's anti-immigrant policies
During a rally in Nevada last week, the president said: "The Democrats want caravans, they like the caravans. A lot of people say 'I wonder who started that caravan?'"
Along with deploying troops, Trump has threatened to cut aid to the region and even shut down the US-Mexico border if authorities don't stop the migrants.
dv/amp (AFP, AP, Reuters)