The Biden administration is sending 1,500 active duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the anticipated surge in illegal crossings once Title 42 is no longer in place.
While active duty troops have been sent to the southern border in the past to address surges, the troops being sent today will not be focused on deterrence, rather strictly in an administrative capacity. The service members will be armed for self-defense only.
“At the request of the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Austin approved a temporary Department of Defense (DoD) increase of an additional 1,500 military personnel to supplement U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) efforts on the U.S. Southwest Border,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.
“For 90 days, these 1,500 military personnel will fill critical capability gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support, until CBP can address these needs through contracted support. Military personnel will not directly participate in law enforcement activities. This deployment to the border is consistent with other forms of military support to DHS over many years,” he continued.
EXCLUSIVE: The soldiers would come from variety of active duty Army units, would serve in admin and transport roles to free up law enforcement and Border patrol.
This is the model used by the Trump admin. The US troops would be armed for self defense, not for law enforcement.— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) May 2, 2023
The announcement from the Department of Defense comes a day after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed illegal immigration is down 90 percent because of the actions taken by Biden’s administration, which is false.
