Pentagon to send 5,200 troops to border one week before end of term

An officer of the border police. The Pentagon sends 5,200 troops to the southwestern border a week before the mid-term. (AP Photo / Gregory Bull / File)

The Pentagon announced Monday the dispatch of 5,200 troops to the southwestern border, as part of an extraordinary military operation ordered just a week before the Mid-term elections during which President Donald Trump focused on the central region. US migrants moving north in slow caravans hundreds of kilometers from the United States

The number of soldiers deployed represents more than double the 2,000 Syrian soldiers fighting ISIS.

Trump, anxious for voters to remain focused on illegal immigration before the elections, has stepped up his warnings about caravans, tweeting: "It's an invasion of our country and our military are waiting for you "

But all migrants who complete the long journey to the southern border of the United States are already facing major obstacles – both physical and bureaucratic – to enter the United States.

The Pentagon's "Faithful Patriot" Operation Described by the Comma The North American Command aims to help the Customs and Border Protection Service "harden the southern border" by strengthening defenses at legal entry points and nearby. Sophisticated helicopters will allow border protection officers to scale up migrants attempting to cross illegally, said Air Force General Terrence O. Shaughnessy.

The troops planned to bring important accordion cabling between the ports.

will not allow a large group to enter the United States illegally and dangerously, "said Kevin McAleenan, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.

800 soldiers are already on their way to the south of Texas, said O. Shaughnessy, their number will exceed 5,200 by the end of the week.Some of the troops will be armed.He added that the troops would focus first on Texas, then on Arizona, then on California.

The troops will join the more than 2,000 National Guards that Trump has already deployed at the border.On Monday, it was still unclear why the government had decided to send active troops, knowing that their presence would be limited to baduming the same support functions that the Guard already exercises.

The number of people in the first caravan of migrants directed to the States Last week, she It had increased from 7,000 to about 4,000, but a second one grew and was marked by violence. About 600 migrants from the second group attempted Monday to cross a bridge between Guatemala and Mexico. The confrontation of the banks with the Mexican police followed a more violent confrontation Sunday when the migrants used poles and stones against police officers. A migrant was killed Sunday night by a head injury, but the cause was not clear.

The first group crossed the place by the river, wading or rafting, and was advancing into southern Mexico. This group seemed to start with a group of about 160 people who decided to band together in Honduras to protect themselves from gangs that feed on migrants traveling alone and snowballing as the group headed north . They come mainly from Honduras, where it began, as well as from El Salvador and Guatemala.

Another, smaller caravan declined significantly at the beginning of the year through Mexico, while only about 200 people were heading to the California border.

US and international laws allow migrants to apply for asylum. But there is already a bottleneck of potential asylum seekers waiting at some US border points to file their applications, some of whom may wait up to five weeks.

McAleenan said that the purpose of the operation was to deter migrants from illegally moving, but he acknowledged that his agents were overwhelmed by an upsurge of asylum seekers at the borders. He also said that Mexico was ready to offer asylum to members of the caravan.

"If you are already asking for asylum, a generous offer has been made to you," he said of Mexico. "We want to work with Mexico to manage this flow."

The White House is also considering additional security measures at the border, including preventing people traveling in the caravan from seeking asylum and preventing them from returning home. To enter the United States

.

"The sending of active military forces to our southern border is not only a huge waste of taxpayer money, but also a useless course of action that will further terrorize and militarize our border communities," he said. Shaw Drake, of the American daily, Border Rights Center of the Civil Liberties Union in El Paso, Texas.

The military is legally prohibited from participating in the enforcement of immigration legislation. The troop will include members of the military police, combat engineers and others who help at the border.

Growing rhetoric about migrants and planned deployments comes as president attempts to make caravans a key election issue just days before the elections Determine if Republicans are keeping control of Congress.

"This will be the election of caravans, Kavanaugh, law and order, tax cuts and you know what else? It will be the election of common sense, "said Trump at a rally on Saturday night in Illinois.

On Monday, he tweeted without providing any evidence," Many gang members and very bad people mixed up with the Caravan towards our southern border. "

" Please, go back, he tells them, you will not be admitted to the United States unless you go through the legal process. It's an invasion of our country and our military are waiting for you!

It is possible that there are mixed criminals, but Trump has not substantiated his claim that members of the MS-13 gang, in particular, were among them.

Soldiers should perform many tasks, such as carrying supplies for border patrol, but not engaging directly with migrants seeking to cross the border, officials said. A US official said the troops would initially be sent to bases in California, Texas and Arizona, while CBP defines exactly where it wants the troops to be positioned. The US Transportation Command on Monday posted a video on its Facebook page of a C-17 transport plane that it said was delivering army equipment to the southwestern border to support the operation.

The US military has already begun delivering anti-jersey gates to the south of the country. border in conjunction with deployment plans.

To download the latest news from around the world, download Indian Express App