U.S. military may send up to 1,000 troops to Mexico border

By Phil Stewart and Delphine Schrank

 

The U.S. border wall with Mexico is seen from the United States in Nogales, Arizona September 12, 2018. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

 

WASHINGTON/PIJIJIAPAN, Mexico (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration may send up to 1,000 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said on Thursday, as Trump hammered away at the issue of illegal immigration ahead of congressional elections.

 

Trump's threat was sparked by the advance of a caravan of Central American migrants trekking through Mexico and headed toward the United States.

 

"I am bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be stopped!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

 

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in an interview with the Fox News Channel that her department had asked the Pentagon for help to bolster its capabilities, including for "some air support ... some logistics, planning, vehicle barriers, engineering."

 

She said the requested support was meant to help better protect the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) agents and ports of entry. How to meet the request is up to the Department of Defense, Nielsen added.

 

The preliminary DHS request could require deploying between 800 and 1,000 active-duty troops, two U.S. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

The U.S. military is prohibited from carrying out civilian law enforcement on American soil unless specifically authorized by Congress.

 

Although Trump's language has suggested the military might be directly involved in preventing the migrants from entering the United States, one official said the troops would engage only in logistics and infrastructure services, like setting up tents, and not law enforcement activities.

 

There are currently 2,100 National Guardsmen along the border, but the DHS request could lead to the first large-scale deployment of active-duty U.S. military forces to support the border protection mission under Trump.

 

The Pentagon said it was working with DHS to "determine the specifics of our support" to the Customs and Border Protection agency, part of DHS.

 

Trump and his fellow Republicans have sought to make the caravan and immigration major issues ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm congressional elections, in which the president's party is trying to maintain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

 

FLEEING VIOLENCE

Fleeing violence, poverty and government corruption in their home countries, the caravan of migrants on Thursday continued its slow trek toward the distant U.S. border.

 

Men, women and children set off at dawn from the southern Mexican town of Mapastepec, in the state of Chiapas. A local official said 5,300 migrants had assembled in the town on Wednesday night.

 

As the sun began to blaze, they marched 30 miles (48 km) to the town of Pijijiapan, where they rested on blankets and tarps in the main park.

 

A group of Mexican police, who said the responsibility for deporting migrants rests with immigration officials, tried to flag down rides for some.

 

Meanwhile, further south in Guatemala, a second caravan of more than a thousand people that had formed on Monday and since broken into smaller groups also moved northward.

 

Lucrecia Oliva, a worker at a migrant shelter in Guatemala's capital, said 400 migrants arrived on Wednesday in small clusters. On Thursday afternoon, around 60 Honduran migrants sat in the street outside, resting and eating donated food.

 

'GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY'

"To those in the Caravan, turnaround, we are not letting people into the United States illegally. Go back to your Country and if you want, apply for citizenship like millions of others are doing!" Trump tweeted on Thursday.

 

"We feel like he's not human," said Carlos Fernandez, a 39-year-old bricklayer, speaking by phone from the Guatemala-Mexico border after travelling since last Friday from the crime-wracked city of San Pedro Sula in Honduras.

 

"If someone migrates to the United States, it's to work, and working is not a crime," he said.

 

Trump pledged during the 2016 presidential race to build a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico. But the funding for his signature campaign promise has been slow to materialise, even though his party controls the U.S. Congress.

 

In April, frustrated by lack of progress on the wall, Trump ordered the National Guard to help secure the border.

 

Adam Isacson, an official at the Washington Office on Latin America, a group that advocates for migrant rights, expressed misgivings about the potential deployment.

 

"Even if it's a short-term deployment, it's another step toward militarization of our border," Isacson said, adding that 40 percent of people being apprehended at the border were children and families.

 

(Reporting by Phil Stewart, Makini Brice, Steve Holland and Yeganeh Torbati in Washington; Delphine Schrank in Pijijiapan, Michael O'Boyle in Mexico City and Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City; editing by Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien and G Crosse)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-26

Turn around and go home, your not getting in.  Go home and do it legally. 

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

The U.S. military is prohibited from carrying out civilian law enforcement on American soil unless specifically authorized by Congress.

i wonder if trump even knows that...

Unless he declares a national emergency, then its allowed.  You folks should actually read the regulation before you quote it in a public forum.

I could not believe CNN's commentary last night about this issue. 'Let them in' was basically their line and what about the next caravan?  and all the millions who will follow if any country say's 'we have no problem if you want to walk in, no docs, no visa and no passports'.  All this does is embolden Trump's support.  The Dems just don't get it.  They might make some gains midterms but I'd guess Trump is here 2020 onwards.

I would imagine the Dem's will not take either house of congress, and in 2020, they will be swept out of politics for many years to come.  They don't connect with American's anymore and thus there will be less and less of there kind in politics as the years pass by. 

1 minute ago, jimmyyy said:

I would imagine the Dem's will not take either house of congress, and in 2020, they will be swept out of politics for many years to come.  They don't connect with American's anymore and thus there will be less and less of there kind in politics as the years pass by. 

 

I pray you are right and do you know the strangest thing?  I am not a Trump supporter and support many of the Dems policies (pro-choice, pro-weed, pro- Palestine anti-corporate + more)  but I loathe the pc liberals more than the self-righteous conservatives. It's amazing that people like me can be so turned off their pc liberal BS that we have our own 'Spartacus moment'. Their disgusting tactics at the Kavanaugh gig and bullying at restaurants by Billionaire Soro's funded mobs (and all the rest) does not resonate with most people and they will choose the lesser of the two evil's.

 

This caravan could well bring the Dems down and is a Godsend for Trump. God help America.

Military sent to deal with a horde of scared women and children. Seems pretty reasonable. Good ol stable genius. 

5 minutes ago, utalkin2me said:

Military sent to deal with a horde of scared women and children. Seems pretty reasonable. Good ol stable genius. 

What do you suggest, an army of social workers?

Nope, i am suggesting the military guard the border, no one gets in except through CBP check points.  All claims of entry are handled there.  If they are NOT from Mexico they needed to claim refugee status at the first country they crossed into to.  They are not permitted to jump two or three countries than claim.  Application is denied.  You did not follow the rules, economic reasons are not allowed.  March your ass back to Mexico, they let you in that country and they can now deal with them.  Not one of them get in..

25 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

Unless he declares a national emergency, then its allowed.  You folks should actually read the regulation before you quote it in a public forum.

 

Meh.

 

The President may employ the armed forces... to... restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition... the President determines that... domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order... or [to] suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy if such... a condition... so hinders the execution of the laws... that any part or class of its people is deprived of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law... or opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws.

 

 

Has he formally declared a "national emergency"?

 

The Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C. § 1385), 1878, has been "eroded" a fair amount over the years, maybe more so by Bush 2 and Obama? 

 

 

Defense Secretary Mattis Will Send Some 800 U.S. Troops To Border With Mexico

 

The support troops will likely include engineers and military police officers. Citing officials at the Department of Defense, Bowman notes that the troops are expected to serve in support of Customs and Border Patrol and to have no law enforcement duties of their own.

 

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/25/660568492/defense-secretary-mattis-will-send-some-800-u-s-troops-to-mexico-border

 

 

I think it's fair to say that this is for show, aka Border Theatre, which will soothe the savage base.

Win election based on warped sense of patriotism. Check.

Use hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric at rallies to divide the country and promote hatred. Check.

Demonise a sub group of people within the country, and point finger at foreigners in general, to blame for own country's shortcomings. Check.

Find excuse to equate military with state police, and mobilise internally. Check.

 

This will end well.

If they rush the CBP check point, they are dealt with with the most advanced crowd dispersal techniques we have.  Rubber bullets, gas, water cannon, sound devices.  If they start shooting, we switch to lethal means.  Get the hell off my bridge. 

4 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

The left is the only one who is advocating violence against anyone.  It is there communist ideals that are causing all the violence.  Antifa mean anything to you.  It is the left who has started it, now they reap what they sow.  Keep getting violent you damn socialist communists and you will find you will get your just reward.   This is america, get the <deleted> out with that commie bullshit.

 

Wow.

Yeah I don't like communists or socialists very much, i have seen what they have done......  No thank you we don't want any of that. 

1 minute ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Wow.

 

I don't think the ordinary troops will be sufficient to deal with the terrorist hordes perhaps the Rangers or other special forces are required.

11 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

It is in the Op Order for the DOD......

 

Hmmm.

 

Can you share this "Op Order"?

 

It seems like a "national emergency" would require that the President at least make a case to the public - ranting at a rally does not constitute making a case - supporting the need to order troops to the southern border - aka "Teleprompter Trump"?

 

What about the northern border, all ports, airports? Sheesh, there are tens of thousands of foreigners arriving each day in the U.S. Shouldn't we be afraid of them too?

He did make it public, i guess you are not understanding how these things work.  Go read a few books then come back and join the conversation when you have been educated.  

 

The invasion is coming from the south, they have made their intentions clear, this is the battle to be fought.  I don't do mission creep, thanks though.

He also declared it on Twitter.  Its inside the OP's article, really folks read then post, read then post. 

 

I am bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be stopped!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

 

4 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

i guess you are not understanding how these things work.

 

Clearly, I'm not understanding your point of view.

 

What did he make public? When? How do these things work? Can you recommend any books?

 

6 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

they have made their intentions clear

 

Who is "they"? What are their intentions?

 

You seem privvy to "special" information not available to us common folk? Is there some website where you get this level of detail? Do share.

 

 

 

He also declared it on Twitter.  Its inside the OP's article, really folks read then post, read then post. 

 

I am bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be stopped!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

"I am bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be stopped!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

 

 

This constitutes making a case for a national emergency?

 

OK then.

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy. Must change laws!

They are not welcome, you don't immigrate to USA in this manner any longer. 

10 minutes ago, JimmyTheMook said:

They are not welcome, you don't immigrate to USA in this manner any longer. 

 

9 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

Oh yes this looks like someone i want entering my country.  Its a socialist invasion force, get em out of here.

 

You (both?) seem quite passionate about this topic.

 

 

I simply don't wish my country to be turned into a third world hell hole.  Similiar to what is happening in Europe with no go zones and such.  We are a country of rules, you need to follow the rules.  Using mob techniques will get you no where.  My taxes are not going to feed and house these people who needed to declare status as refugees in the first country border they came too.  Sorry you didn't follow the rules, you don't get to come into the country.  Go home and apply for emigration legally.  Wait your turn in line,  pay your fee's.  Do it legally.  If you can not then stay home, because all that you are doing is putting your life at risk, no way in hell 1 of you gets in the USA and stays.  Won't happen the American Voter will not stand for it. 

46 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

I simply don't wish my country to be turned into a third world hell hole.  Similiar to what is happening in Europe with no go zones and such.  We are a country of rules, you need to follow the rules.  Using mob techniques will get you no where.  My taxes are not going to feed and house these people who needed to declare status as refugees in the first country border they came too.  Sorry you didn't follow the rules, you don't get to come into the country.  Go home and apply for emigration legally.  Wait your turn in line,  pay your fee's.  Do it legally.  If you can not then stay home, because all that you are doing is putting your life at risk, no way in hell 1 of you gets in the USA and stays.  Won't happen the American Voter will not stand for it. 

Here is a link to poll dated october 17 from the Communists at Fox News:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-results-10-17

As you'll note 41 percent of registered voters approve of Trump's immigration policies vs. 55 percent who disapprove.

Polls really, how well did that work out in 2016.  Polls mean nothing. 

38 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

Polls really, how well did that work out in 2016.  Polls mean nothing. 

On the popular vote they were off by 1 percent on average. Trump has had to retreat a few times on immigration already. So clearly he believes he's been doing something unpopular.

4 hours ago, jimmyyy said:

He also declared it on Twitter.  Its inside the OP's article, really folks read then post, read then post. 

 

I am bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be stopped!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Is Twitter the legal way to do things in the USA now? The president tweets and everybody else does? No Congress, no checks and balances, no discussions, just the POTUS tweet?