On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State James Mattis authorized the deployment of troops to the border with Mexico, promoting President Donald Trump’s midterm election campaign strategy, based on deterring illegal immigration.
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According to Reuters, U.S. officials estimate that 800 troops would be called to answer Mattis' “deployment order,” which is likely to happen by next Tuesday.
“The Department will provide Defense Support to Civil Authorities with planning assistance, engineering support [to reinforce temporary barriers, barricades, and fencing], fixed and rotary wing aviation support to move CBP (Customs Border Protection) personnel, medical teams to triage, treat and prepare for commercial transport patients, command and control facilities, temporary housing for CBP personnel, and personal protective equipment for CBP personnel. U.S. Northern Command will be in the lead for the duration of the operation and is in support of Custom and Border Protection,” a news release issued, on Friday, by the Department of Defense (DoD), detailed.
Trump tweeted Thursday that the government would be “bringing out the military for this National Emergency. They will be stopped,” the U.S. president added, referring to the caravan which started out from Honduras and entered Mexico, on their way to the United States.
Democratic Party Congressman Adam Smith rejected the remarks made by Trump, stating that “there is absolutely no reason to politicize and militarize this humanitarian crisis.”
Over the past two weeks, Trump has prompted the Republican Party to adopt an anti-immigration discourse, during the upcoming November 6 midterm elections, as a strategy to help the party maintain the two-thirds majority they currently hold in Congress.