Biden Administration withdraws troops from border despite surge in immigration.
The Department of Defense to Withdraw Troops from U.S.-Mexico Border
The Department of Defense has confirmed that it will withdraw 1,100 active duty troops from the U.S.-Mexico border by August 8. This decision comes after a spike in encounters with migrants entering the country illegally in July.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in response to a request from the Department of Homeland Security, authorized the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops to the Southern border for a 90-day mission in May. While the number of encounters initially dropped, apprehensions increased again in July. As a result, around 400 soldiers had their mission extended until the end of August.
“On July 19, the secretary authorized up to 400 active-duty troops to remain at the [southwest border] in support of DHS/[Customs and Border Protection] until Aug. 31. It is my understanding that this authorization came as the result of a request from DHS/CBP for an extension,” the representative said.
It is important to note that these troops were not assigned any law enforcement work. Instead, they performed administrative duties to free up Customs and Border Protection personnel for field operations.
The 1,100 troops have already begun returning to their bases this week.
Changes in Immigration Policies
The end of Title 42, a Trump-era authority that allowed the expulsion of millions of illegal migrants due to COVID-19 concerns, was expected to lead to an increase in border crossings. However, after Title 42 expired on May 11, apprehensions dropped from 170,000 in May to under 100,000 in June, according to agency data.
Unfortunately, illegal migrant encounters rose to 130,000 in July, following the expansion of entry programs like CBP One. The Biden administration defended the increase, stating that encounters remained lower than under Title 42.
Impact on National Guard Troops
The withdrawal of active-duty troops does not affect the 2,300 National Guard troops already deployed to the border under federal orders. Additionally, more red states are sending National Guard troops to fill capability gaps, including detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support.
DHS has not yet responded to requests for comment.
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The post Biden Administration Pulls Active Duty Troops from Border Despite Immigrant Surge appeared first on The Western Journal.
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