Immigration remains a paramount topic in today’s political climate and while a border wall has yet to be built around the southern border of The United States, the Trump Administration took key steps to secure the border this week by outlining a plan to deploy the National Guard along the border between the United States and Mexico. The plan was announced by the Department of Homeland Security.
“To Secure the Border and Make America Safe, We Need to Deploy the National Guard,” said a statement released by DHS Wednesday afternoon. “Deploying the National Guard will serve as an immediate deterrent while dramatically enhancing operational control of the U.S. border.”
DHS Secretary Kristjen, Nielson, made the announcement on Wednesday and said that Trump will be signing a proclamation later in the week to make the order official. She also called on Congress to do more to close loopholes that made it difficult for the Trump Administration to do away with the catch and release policy that allows illegal immigrants to be released while they await trial.
“While plans are being finalized, it’s our expectation that the National Guard will deploy personnel in support of CBP’s border security mission,” Nielsen said Wednesday. “I will not provide the full details today.”
As for what specifically the National Guard is being deployed to do, it is being said they will have no physical contact with immigrants and will not be involved in processing them. Instead they will be assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in surveillance by air and by camera monitors. The move to deploy the National Guard to help patrol the border isn’t unprecedented, as both Barack Obama and George W. Busch implemented similar measures.
The announcement comes only a few days after Donald Trump announced that he would be doing away with DACA,which could leave over 700,000 undocumented immigrants in danger of being deported. At one point, Trump had extended DACA’s coverage to include over 1.8 million immigrants that came to the United States as children through no fault of their own, but has now nixed the deal due to what he calls a lack of desire from Democrats to find a solution.
“Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous ,“Caravans” coming,” Trump told reporters about why he was pulling out of DACA negotiations. “Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!”
President Trump also made headlines this week for reportedly inquiring about whether The Department of Defense could help pay to build a massive wall on the border between The United States and Mexico. That announcement came after Trump tried to include funding for the border wall in the spending bill that was used to keep the government running through the end of this year. He was unsuccessful in securing much of the funding in order to move forward with the project.