Biden Deploys Troops to the Border

Biden Deploys Troops to the Border

(RepublicanReport.org) – The Biden Administration plans to end a Trump-era policy, Title 42, on May 11. Officials expect a surge of migrants to arrive at the Southern Border as a result. The White House recently announced it would be sending US troops to provide aid to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with the surge of immigrants.

Deploying US Troops

Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, Press Secretary of the Pentagon, recently released a statement about the deployment of active duty troops to the US-Mexico border. In his remarks, he mentioned that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) request for support, adding the Department of Defense (DOD) will be sending 1,500 US troops to help CBP authorities.

The initial deployment will last 90 days. During that time, military personnel will aid CBP by providing “ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support.” The deployment has the potential to be extended if needed, and US troops will remain at the Southwest Border until CBP is able to “fill critical capability gaps” through “contracted support,” according to Ryder. The Pentagon press secretary made it clear that US troops wouldn’t be acting in any law enforcement role and added the deployment of US military personnel is similar to actions that have been taken in the past to help the DHS.

According to a statement from Homeland Security, the development comes as the Biden administration prepares to reinstate Title 8. The 1,500 troops set to deploy to the border will add to the 2,500 that are already there. The statement added the DOD has provided aid to the Southern Border on behalf of the DHS “every year since 2006.”

Too Little, Too Late

Despite the administration’s deployment of troops to the Southern Border, many feel it didn’t do enough to prevent the problem in the first place, while others feel the action comes too little, too late. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a statement saying the deployment was “just another example” of the president’s poor planning regarding an ongoing issue, one that’s been years in the making.

The Republican explained the administration knew ending Title 42 would likely result in a surge of migrants, adding the DHS still “waited until virtually the last minute” to do anything. Wicker mentioned that in doing so, the DHS has left the DOD with no choice but to “deploy active-duty troops,” which the senator believes will have “negative impacts on readiness.” Wicker asserted the situation could’ve been prevented entirely if President Biden took the “crisis at our border” seriously.

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