Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 4 april 2018

Impatient for wall, Trump wants U.S. military to secure border

By JILL COLVIN and LOLITA the issue since he grudg-
C. BALDOR ingly signed a spending bill
Associated Press last month that includes far
WASHINGTON (AP) — Frus- less money for the wall than
trated by slow action on a he’d hoped for.
major campaign promise, The $1.3 trillion package
President Donald Trump included $1.6 billion for bor-
said Tuesday he wants to der wall spending — a frac-
use the military to secure tion of the $25 billion Trump
the U.S.-Mexico border until made a last-minute push to
his promised border wall is secure. And much of that
built. money can be used only
Trump told reporters he’s to repair existing segments,
been discussing the idea not to build new sections.
with Defense Secretary Jim Also setting Trump off: A
Mattis. briefing from senior admin-
“We’re going to be doing istration officials last week
things militarily. Until we can that included an update
have a wall and proper se- on an uptick in illegal bor-
curity, we’re going to be der crossings, and images
guarding our border with played on his favorite net-
the military,” Trump said, work, Fox News, of a “cara-
calling the move a “big van” of migrants making
step.” their way through Mexico.
It wasn’t immediately clear Trump spent the first months
exactly how the proposal In this June 21, 2006, file photo, members of the California National Guard work next to the U.S.- of his presidency bragging
would work or what kind Mexico border fence Wednesday, June 21, 2006, near the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego. about a dramatic drop in
of troops Trump wanted Associated Press illegal border crossings. In-
to deploy. But the White tagon’s budget to pay for as forces rotated in and top administration officials, deed, the 2017 fiscal year
House later said Trump building the wall, arguing it out. The Guard members including Mattis, Homeland marked a 45-year low for
wanted to mobilize the Na- is a national security prior- were used for surveillance, Security Secretary Kirstjen Border Patrol arrests. But
tional Guard. ity, despite strict rules that communications, admin- Nielsen and Attorney Gen- the numbers have been
Federal law prohibits the prohibit spending that’s not istrative support, intelli- eral Jeff Sessions, to dis- slowly ticking up since last
use of active-duty service authorized by Congress. gence, analysis and the in- cuss the administration’s April and are now on par
members for law enforce- At the Pentagon, officials stallation of border security strategy to address what with many months of the
ment inside the U.S., un- struggled throughout the infrastructure. White House spokeswoman Obama administration. Sta-
less specifically authorized day to answer questions In addition, President Sarah Huckabee Sanders tistics show 36,695 arrests of
by Congress. But over the about the plan, includ- Barack Obama sent about described as “the growing people trying to cross the
past 12 years, presidents ing rudimentary details on 1,200 National Guard influx of illegal immigration, southwest border in Febru-
have twice sent National whether it would involve troops to the U.S.-Mexico drugs and violent gang ary 2018, up from 23,555 in
Guard troops to the border National Guard members. border in 2010 to beef up members from Central the same month of the pre-
to bolster security and assist But the administration ap- efforts to battle drug smug- America.” vious year.
with surveillance and other peared to be considering a gling and illegal immigra- In addition to mobilizing the At last week’s meeting,
support. The White House model similar to a 2006 op- tion. National Guard, Trump and Trump “directed a vigor-
counsel’s office has been eration in which President Texas has also deployed senior officials “agreed on ous administrative strat-
working on the idea for sev- George W. Bush deployed military forces to its 800- the need to pressure Con- egy to confront this threat
eral weeks, according to a National Guard troops to mile (1,290-kilometer) bor- gress to urgently pass leg- and protect America’s na-
senior official who spoke on the southern border. der with Mexico. Former islation to close legal loop- tional security,” said Sand-
condition of anonymity to Under Operation Jump Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now holes exploited by criminal ers. Tuesday’s briefing was
discuss internal plans. Start, 6,000 National Guard serving as Trump’s energy trafficking, narco-terrorist a follow-up to discuss the
Trump has been annoyed troops were sent to as- secretary, sent 1,000 Texas and smuggling organiza- plans.
by the lack of progress on sist the border patrol with National Guardsmen to the tions,” Sanders said. Trump has also been under
building what was the sig- non-law enforcement du- Rio Grande Valley in 2014 The meeting and com- pressure from conservative
nature promise of his cam- ties while additional bor- in response to a sharp in- ments came amid a flurry backers, including com-
paign: a “big, beautiful der agents were hired and crease in Central American of tweets by the president mentator Ann Coulter, who
wall” along the Mexican trained. Over two years, children crossing the bor- on the subject over the last has accused Trump of be-
border. He’s previously about 29,000 National der alone. several days. traying his base for not de-
suggested using the Pen- Guard forces participated, Trump met Tuesday with Trump has been fixated on livering on the wall.q