Page 2 - aruba-today-20181201

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 1 december 2018

U.S. to cut troops along Mexico

border but extend deployment

By LOLITA C. BALDOR have strung vast amounts the very real threat we
Associated Press of concertina wire and face at the border from
WASHINGTON (AP) — The transported Border Patrol potential mass migration
U.S. plans to cut the num- agents but have not been actions — of course, DHS
ber of active-duty troops engaged in any law en- has reached out for assis-
along the border with Mex- forcement activities, which tance from partners across
ico but extend the unusual would be prohibited under the federal government
deployment for another 45 U.S. law. to defend our sovereignty,
days, U.S. officials said Fri- The initial deployment was protect our frontline men
day. scheduled to end Dec. 15, and women, and secure
Overall troop levels as- but Mattis and other offi- our border," spokeswoman
signed to assist the Depart- cials had said it could be Katie Waldman said.
ment of Homeland Security extended. The new order U.S. officials said the troops
with border enforcement extends it for 45 days while at the border will provide
will drop from 5,600 to still allowing about 1,600 support and protection for
A U.S. Border Patrol detains Honduran migrants after they walked about 4,000 under a new troops to return home. Border Patrol agents and
onto U.S territory from Tijuana, Mexico, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. proposal from the agency U.S. officials described the continue to install and re-
Associated Press to the Pentagon. new request on condi- pair wire barriers. In addi-
Secretary of Defense Jim tion of anonymity to dis- tion, more troops are ex-
Mattis was traveling and cuss internal deliberations pected to shift from Texas
had not yet signed off on that had not yet been ap- and Arizona to California.
the plan but the Pentagon proved. As of Friday, 2,400 troops
has been working with DHS A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. were deployed in Texas,
on the request and it is ex- Col. Jamie Davis, said the 1,800 in California and
pected to get approval, new DHS proposal "refines" 1,400 in Arizona.
said the officials, who spoke the military support so "it re- The troops at the border
on condition of anonymity. mains aligned with the cur- include combat engineers
President Donald Trump or- rent threat," but declined who can install and repair
dered the unusual deploy- to give details. the concertina wire bar-
ment of active-duty troops DHS issued a similar state- riers, helicopter crews to
to the border in response ment, citing the "ongoing provide transportation,
to a caravan of Central threat at our southern bor- and military police along
American migrants walking der." with other service members
north toward the U.S. Critics Homeland Security offi- who provide support for
dismissed the deployment cials said Secretary Kirstjen the troops.
as a political stunt ahead Nielsen has also reached As of last week, the cost of
of the midterm elections out for assistance from oth- using troops to help secure
Most of the troops have er federal agencies. the border was estimated
been deployed in Texas, Politico reported Friday at $210 million, but this ex-
far from where the migrants that Nielsen requested help tension is likely to increase
eventually arrived in Tijua- from other departments — that figure.
na, along the southern bor- , including State, Labor, That total included $72 mil-
der with California. Soldiers Energy, Transportation, In- lion for approximately 5,900
terior and Justice — to de- active-duty troops provid-
termine whether they have ing support to Customs
law enforcement person- and Border Protection, plus
nel they can send to the $138 million so far for 2,100
border. National Guard troops who
"The President has made it have been performing a
clear that border security separate border mission
is a top administration pri- since April, according to
ority. In line with the Presi- a report sent to Congress
dent's direction and given early last week.q