Troops sent by Trump to border will not arrest migrants or carry out armed patrols

Troops sent by Trump to border will not arrest migrants or carry out armed patrols, Pentagon says

The National Guard troops will provide air support through drones and helicopters, maintain infrastructure and conduct surveillance. Questions remain about what the mission will cost or how long they will be deployed.

• By Nick Miroff and Paul Sonne
• 2 hours ago

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National Security
Troops sent by Trump to border will fly drones, gather intel — and clear brush, too

https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/im...EeiNU-ug7SNxzA
Members of the Arizona National Guard listen to instructions Monday at the Papago Park Military Reservation in Phoenix. Arizona has deployed its first 225 National Guard members to the Mexican border after President Donald Trump ordered thousands of troops to the frontier region to combat drug trafficking and illegal immigration. (Caitlin O'hara/AFP/Getty Images)

By Nick Miroff and Paul Sonne April 9 at 10:11 PM Email the author

The Pentagon offered new details Monday about the types of activities National Guard troops would perform while deployed by President Trump to the U.S.-Mexico border, but critical questions remain about how long the operation will last and how much it will cost.
National Guard troops will provide air support through...

Not the Washington Post, but another source:

Troops sent by Trump to the border fly drones and collect Intel and extinguishers

April 10, 2018

The Pentagon released new details on Monday on the types of activity that National Guard troops would carry out during the deployment of President Trump at the US-Mexico border, but critical questions remain about how long the operation will last and how much it costs. 19659002] National Guard troops will provide air support through drones and light, medium and heavy helicopters, said Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Davis, a spokesman for the Department of Defense, in a statement to the Washington Post. They will also help maintain roads and other infrastructure, provide clear vegetation and assistance in maintaining the facility, in addition to operating surveillance systems, including cameras and blimps, Davis said.

They will not arrest migrants or carry out armed patrols along the border.

Davis described the mission as a support role for the Department of Homeland Security and confirmed that the troops would not necessarily carry weapons. "National Guard personnel are armed for their own self-defense only if the circumstances of the mission they perform are necessary," Davis said.

The troops can be withdrawn from National Guard units across the country under the command of the Border governors. On Monday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, representing Arizona Trustee Trump executive order, signed 225 Arizona National Guard members to the Tucson and Yuma Border Patrol sectors last week. He planned to deploy another 113 soldiers on Tuesday.

Texas, which had already stationed National Guard troops along the border, deployed additional troops over the weekend. New Mexico had not mobilized anyone but announced plans to join the mission. California, the only state on the border with Mexico with a Democratic governor, said Gov. Jerry Brown continues to review his options.

The stakes come when President Trump tries to fulfill his campaign pledge to strengthen border security, even though he could not persuade Congress to cut its $ 18 billion finance expensive wall. In order to finance the military operation, he does not need the approval of the legislature, because the money is to come from the Pentagon budget of $ 700 billion.

The Pentagon said the troops were working on infrastructure projects, but not on whether to build the wall. Earlier border guards of the National Guard included the installation of barriers.

A two-year deployment of up to 6,000 troops at the border during President George W. Bush's administration cost about $ 1.2 billion. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis signed a memorandum on Friday confirming the payment of up to 4,000 National Guard personnel by 30 September, and ordering the Pentagon Auditor to tell him whether money should be withdrawn from other programs. That's about twice as many US soldiers as in Syria.

While Bush and President Barack Obama also used the National Guard to reinforce border security, these operations came at times of increased drug violence or urgent public appeals from governors to federal aid. They were not the sort of open-ended mission that Trump demanded by "sealing" the border.

"Until we can have a wall and adequate security, we will guard our border with the military," Trump said last week.

The troop shipment surprised US military and homeland security officials last week when President Trump reported in Mexico that a caravan of more than 1,000 Central American migrants was heading for the US border. Previous border assignments were made in coordination with the competent US governors and Mexican officials.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent more than 1,000 guards to the border in 2014 after a wave of Central American families and children overwhelmed Border Patrol agents. The troop presence has since declined as the crisis subsided, and last week, according to state officials, only about 100 were left. There was no explicit request for help from Abbott's White House office last week, officials said.

The White House has also requested a detailed list of "existing facilities, including military facilities," which could be used to detain immigrants.

In a statement, the Arizona National Guard said that while their previous missions "only" supported US Customs and Border Patrol, the new mission would "support the entire Homeland Security Department." The Guard did not say what other DHS agencies would support the troops, but the US Immigration and Customs Department, which is responsible for deportation and deportations, is a separate entity from the US border patrol.

Immigration officers have not said they face a shortage of places to stay, but court rulings generally prohibit the government from imprisoning families or children for more than three weeks while awaiting a judge. The plan indicates that there are far more Border Patrol agents than in 2006, when Bush was in the US.

The border police had 11,000 agents stationed along the Mexican border in 2006, more than 1 million arrests this year, an average of 90 arrests per officer.

Last year, 16,600 Border Patrol agents executed 310,000 arrests, which equates to 19 arrests per agent.

https://infoglitz.com/troops-sent-by...extinguishers/

300,000 arrests and they admit that around fifty percent are not apprehended. In my opinion protecting the citizens of the United States and the borders against the dangers and threats from illegal immigration, drugs, terrorists, others, should be of utmost importance and warrants an armed military presence as used in years past.

We are considering possible military action in Syria. We protect the borders of other nations with our military. Do we deserve any less protection?

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300,000 arrests and they admit that around fifty percent are not apprehended. In my opinion protecting the citizens of the United States and the borders against the dangers and threats from illegal immigration, drugs, terrorists, others, should be of utmost importance and warrants an armed military presence as used in years past.

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Absolutely! It really seems they want all these invaders here - a good 20 yrs of this and there is no coming back - we've had at least 14 yrs so another 5-6 yrs and the entire central american population will be living here on the dole along with most mexicans and refugees with extended families. Beyond ridiculous beyond dangerous to our citizens, beyond breaking our budget limits.
It is a takeover w/o a sword or rifle raised and obviously gov't sanctioned or it would not be happening.

It's definitely a take over, a planned, conspiratorial invasion.

This display by Trump is clearly not intended to secure the border or deter illegals. It is to placate his base and pretend he is keeping his promises when in truth he continues to act just like a NeoCon open borders amnesty backer like Bush and Obama.

If that's the case, we should demand he call it off and save the money.