The Trump administration sends 1,000 additional troops to the Mexican border



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The Pentagon announced Friday that it would send an additional 1,000 troops to the US-Mexico border to install barbed wire along existing border gates.

Defense officials said at a press briefing that the total deployment of US troops to the southern border would reach 6,000 by 1 March, and that an additional 140 kilometers of Concertina cables would be installed. .

"This mission has evolved," said a senior defense official. "We now move to support [areas] between the points of entry. We still establish 140 miles of accordion wire – [we’re] about 30% finished with this – in addition to providing a ground-based detection and surveillance mission in support of CBP. "

"Our total number is currently about 5,000. They will increase to about 6,000 by March 1," added the official.

The 1,000 additional troops are on active duty and are mainly sent to support both missions at the border, said the official.

"One is the placement of the wires and the other is the detection and monitoring between the points of entry," they said.

"We do not just send people there unless there is a valid requirement. We then try to match resources to this requirement as accurately as possible. And if we do not need these people, we move them elsewhere. "

The news came as Pentagon officials on Friday refused to say whether the Defense Department would seek congressional approval to allocate billions of dollars to President TrumpDonald John TrumpSchiff urges GOP colleagues to publicly share their concerns about Trump. The US-China trade talks are drawing criticism for the lack of women in pictures. Night Defense: Trump will leave 200 soldiers in Syria | Trump and Kim plan an individual meeting | Pentagon asks DHS to justify transfer of funds for border wall MOREThe project of building a wall along the border.

"The Ministry of Defense has a habit of seeking approval and it is not required by law," a reporter told when asked if the department would proceed without congressional approval. .

The president declared a national emergency earlier this month with the goal of allocating funds to the border wall after the Democrats refused to provide all of the $ 5.7 billion requested by the White House for the wall as part of an agreement to avoid a further closure of the government.

The Democrats have introduced in the House a resolution to block the emergency declaration, which the president vowed to veto if she reached his office.

– Ellen Mitchell contributed

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