President Donald Trump has ordered the Secretary of Defense or Secretaries of Military Service to “order as many units or members of the Armed Forces, including the Ready Reserve and the National Guard, as the Secretary of Defense determines are appropriate” to support the Department of Homeland Security. Internal on the border.
on Monday (20), authorizing additional use of Department of Defense resources on the border.
The executive order also directs the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to work with the Attorney General to review policies, where applicable, to ensure that “use of force policies prioritize the safety” of DOD and DHS personnel at the border. .
“America’s sovereignty is under attack…This attack on the American people and the integrity of America’s sovereign borders represents a grave threat to our nation.”
Donald Trump
“Due to the severity and emergency of this current danger and imminent threat, it is necessary for the Armed Forces to take all appropriate measures to assist the Department of Homeland Security in obtaining full operational control of the southern border.”
An additional executive order on Monday directed the secretary of defense to deliver planning requirements and assessments related to U.S. Northern Command’s (NORTHCOM) mission to “maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States.”
A defense official said Monday that the Pentagon is “fully committed to carrying out the orders of our Commander in Chief, and is doing so immediately under his leadership.”
There are currently about 2,200 forces on active duty on the border as part of Joint Task Force-North, a task force operating under U.S. Northern Command.
These troops are authorized to do things like data entry, vehicle maintenance, transportation, training, and detection and monitoring, a Joint Task Force-North spokesperson told CNN on Monday.
It is unclear what a troop surge at the border would look like; More specific details are typically provided in a request to the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
