Biden Deploys Troops Where?

According to sources at Fox News, the Biden administration has given the green light to deploy 1,500 currently active U.S. soldiers to the southern border in the upcoming days. The move comes as worries mount that once Title 42 is lifted, tens of thousands of migrants may flood into the country.

As per two senior U.S. officials familiar with the matter, the 1,500 active duty American troops to be deployed at the southern border will be selected from a range of Army units. These soldiers will perform mostly administrative and transport duties for a period of 90 days, with the aim of releasing the burden on law enforcement and Border Patrol.

According to John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, the 90-day deployment of 1,500 active duty troops to the southern border is not unusual as it has been done before during the George W. Bush administration. The Pentagon has confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security has made the request for these troops, who are expected to begin arriving as early as May 10.

The deployment of 1,500 active duty troops to the southern border would follow a similar pattern to the ones ordered by former President Donald Trump. Although these troops will be armed for self-defense, they will not be involved in law enforcement activities.

In a statement, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, explained that the 1,500 active duty troops to be deployed at the southern border will serve critical needs for 90 days. They will fill gaps in capabilities, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support, until the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency can fulfill these needs through contracted support. The statement emphasized that military personnel will not be involved in direct law enforcement activities, and the deployment is in line with other types of military assistance provided to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over many years.

The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has previously issued warnings to migrants that any illegal attempt to enter the U.S. will lead to removal. In contrast, the Biden administration is encouraging migrants to utilize the CBP One app, which enables them to schedule appointments at designated points of entry where their asylum claims can be processed in a legal and safe manner.

According to statistics from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, only about 46% of migrant encounters at the border have led to a Title 42 expulsion. Additionally, in a testimony to Senate lawmakers last month, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that out of almost 1.3 million migrants processed under Title 8 in Fiscal Year 2022, only around 360,000 were deported.