WASHINGTON: The Pentagon announced Sunday that it is deploying 3,750 more active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border for three months to support border agents.
According to Xinhua news agency, quoting a statement released by the Pentagon the deployment would raise the total active duty forces supporting US Customs and Border Protection agents to approximately 4,350.
“Additional units are being deployed for 90 days, and we will continue to evaluate the force composition required to meet the mission to protect and secure the southern border,” the statement said.
The announcement came as bipartisan lawmakers are trying to negotiate a deal on border security funding with a view to averting another partial government shutdown.
US President Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of declaring a national emergency if the deal doesn’t include money for a border wall with Mexico, a plank of his 2016 presidential campaign.
Such a declaration would enable him to bypass congressional approval and redirect funds already allocated by lawmakers for other purposes, possibly at the Pentagon, to his wall, but it is almost certain to draw political backlash and legal challenges.
In a CBS interview aired on Sunday, Trump said he doesn’t “take anything off the table”.
The lack of an agreement between the White House and Congressional Democrats on the border wall funding had led to a historic 35-day partial government shutdown that ended on Jan 25. – Bernama
