The United States Department of Defense announced this Wednesday the sending of 1,500 active military personnel, as well as air and intelligence services, to the border with Mexico, after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order in which decreed a national emergency on the southern border.
“This represents a 60 percent increase in active duty ground forces since Trump took office on Monday,” acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement in which he noted that “this is just the beginning”.
Salesses has indicated that his office will provide military air transportation to support deportation flights managed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for “more than” 5,000 irregular migrants who are supposedly detained in San Diego (California). ) and El Paso (Texas) by the Customs and Border Protection office.
“DHS will provide security forces on board, and the State Department (led by Marco Rubio) will obtain the necessary diplomatic authorizations and provide notification to the host country,” he explained.
Third, the Pentagon will begin to “assist in the construction of temporary and permanent physical barriers to add additional security and reduce illegal border crossings and illicit trafficking.”
The acting head of Defense has stressed that Trump ordered him to take “all appropriate measures” for “complete operational control” of the border area. “That is exactly what the Armed Forces are doing under his leadership,” he declared.
Cut funding to sanctuary cities
US President Donald Trump suggested this Wednesday that he “maybe” cut off the distribution of federal funds to cities that do not hand over undocumented immigrants in their jurisdictions to the Government.
“Maybe I have to do that. Sometimes it’s the only thing you can do,” responded the Republican during an interview he gave to the conservative network Fox News, the first he gave after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. a question about whether he is considering blocking the release of money to so-called ‘sanctuary cities’.
The president has signed a series of executive orders that tighten immigration policies in the United States, including one that eliminates the granting of citizenship to those born in the United States and who are children of undocumented parents or with temporary immigration status.
