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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 3 May 2023
Biden sending 1,500 troops for Mexico border migrant surge

Continued from Front The Pentagon on Tuesday
approved the request for
Even amid the restrictions, troops by Homeland Se-
the administration has seen curity, which manages the
record numbers of people border.
crossing the border, and The deployments have a
President Joe Biden has catch: As a condition for
responded by cracking Austin’s previous approval
down on those who cross of National Guard troops
illegally and by creating to the border through Oct.
new pathways meant to 1, Homeland Security had
offer alternatives to a dan- to agree to work with the
gerous and often deadly White House and Congress
journey. to develop a plan for lon-
For Biden, who announced ger-term staffing solutions
his Democratic reelec- and funding shortfalls, “to
tion campaign a week maintain border security
ago, the decision signals and the safe, orderly, and
his administration is taking humane processing of mi-
seriously an effort to tamp grants that do not involve
down the number of illegal the continued use of DOD
crossings, a potent source personnel and resources,”
of Republican attacks, and said Pentagon spokesman
sends a message to poten- President Joe Biden walks along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso Texas, Jan. 8, 2023. Air Force Lt. Col. Devin Rob-
tial border crossers not to inson.
attempt the journey. But it Associated Press As part of the agreement,
also draws potentially un- duty troops to the border of troops during his term. arise as border officials the Pentagon has request-
welcome comparisons to to assist border patrol per- “DOD personnel have move away from the COV- ed quarterly updates from
Biden’s Republican pre- sonnel in processing large been supporting CBP at ID-19 restrictions. Last week, Homeland Security on how
decessor, whose policies migrant caravans, on top the border for almost two administration officials an- it would staff its border mis-
Biden frequently criticized. of National Guard forces decades now,” Jean-Pierre nounced they would work sion without servicemem-
Congress, meanwhile, has that were already working said. “So this is a common to swiftly screen migrants bers. It was not immedi-
refused to take any sub- in that capacity. practice.” seeking asylum at the bor- ately clear if those updates
stantial immigration-relat- Jean-Pierre downplayed It’s another line of defense der, quickly deport those have happened or if bor-
ed actions. any similarity between in an effort to manage deemed as not being qual- der officials will be able
Then-President Donald Biden’s immigration man- overcrowding and other ified, and penalize people to meet their terms of the
Trump deployed active- agement and Trump’s use possible issues that might who cross illegally into the agreement — particularly
U.S. or illegally through an- under the strain of another
other country on their way expected migrant surge.
to the U.S. border. Homeland Security said it
They will also open centers was working on it. “U.S. Cus-
outside the United States toms and Border Protection
for people fleeing violence is investing in technology
and poverty to apply to and personnel to reduce
fly in legally and settle in its need for DOD support
the United States, Spain or in coming years, and we
Canada. The first process- continue to call on Con-
ing centers will open in gress to support us in this
Guatemala and Colombia, task,” the agency said in a
with others expected to fol- statement.q
low.

A migrant talks with a US member of the armed forces at the US-
Mexico border in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Sunday, April 30, 2023.
(AP Photo/Christian Chávez)