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Trump rushed more than 5,000 troops to the border to lay razor wire. Miles and miles of it.
Trump rushed more than 5,000 troops to the border to lay razor wire. Miles and miles of it.
Ryan PickrellNov 7, 2018, 05:22 IST
Soldiers from various Engineering Units install concertina wire Nov. 5, 2018, on the Anzalduas International Bridge, Texas. U.S Northern Command is providing military support to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to secure the southern border of the United States.US Air Force photo by Airman First Class Daniel A. Hernandez
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By the end of the day Monday, there were more than 5,000 active-duty troops deployed to the US-Mexico border, where they are laying razor wire in preparation for the arrival of migrant caravans consisting of potentially thousands of people from across Latin America.
There are roughly 2,700 active-duty troops in Texas, 1,200 in Arizona and 1,100 in California, the Department of Defense revealed Monday. These figures are in addition to the more than 2,000 National Guard troops that were deployed to the border in April.
"We have enough concertina wire to cover up to 22 miles already deployed, already to the border," Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, head of US Northern Command, explained last week.
"We have additional concertina wire that we can string with over 150 miles available," the general added.
Over the past week, thousands of troops were deployed to the border to begin hardening points of entry and securing crossings ahead of the anticipated arrival of migrant caravans.
As many as 8,000 troops, if not more depending on operational demands, could eventually be deployed to the border in support of Operation Faithful Patriot.
The first coils of razor wire were unwound last Friday near McAllen-Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge in Texas.
"I noticed all that beautiful barbed wire going up today," President Donald Trump said at a campaign rally in Montana on Sunday. "Barbed wire used properly can be a beautiful sight."
"Barbed wire looks like it's going to be very effective, too, with soldiers standing in front of it," Trump, who considers the approaching caravans an "invasion" said at a rally in Cleveland on Monday.
On Monday, US military personnel began running razor wire near the Anzalduas International Bridge, another potential crossing point. The barricades being constructed here target both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The other point is a potential crossing point for people on foot.
The troops currently being deployed to the border are limited to a Title X role, supporting the Customs and Border Patrol mission without engaging in law enforcement duties, which federal law forbids. NORTHCOM told Business Insider that some troops are offering planning assistance while others are constructing temporary housing facilities for the military, building barriers to deter vehicles and pedestrians, and going through training.
"There is no plan for US military forces to be involved in the actual mission of denying people entry to the United States," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford told reporters Monday, "There is no plan for the soldiers to come in contact with immigrants or to reinforce the Department of Homeland Security as they are conducting their mission. We are providing enabling capability."
