SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The Defense Department is sending 160 military police officers, engineers and aviation support personnel to help patrol the border. Half will be stationed in El Paso, the other half in San Diego at the San Ysidro Border Crossing.
The deployment is in case federal courts rule that asylum seekers can remain in the U.S. while their cases are heard.
The Trump administration has deported 60,000 asylum seekers since last year. If the order is overturned by the courts, there is widespread belief these asylum seekers and many more will rush to border areas such as El Paso and San Diego seeking entry into the U.S.
Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that the additional troops were requested as a “crisis response force” to also help with coronavirus screenings if the need arises at the borders.
Below is the full statement:
“The Department of Defense (DoD) has provided Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with a Crisis Response Force (CRF) capability available to support CBP frontline efforts when required. Based on the pending Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) decision, there is continued concern of large groups attempting to forcibly enter through the San Ysidro POE. Add COVID-19 containment and mitigation concerns, CBP has activated the CRF. The CRF will provide military police, engineer and aviation support to CBP at select POEs. The employment of the CRF is one element of CBP’s larger, comprehensive border security efforts to help CBP ensure everyone’s safety and security, to include travelers, asylum seekers, business stakeholders and our own employees.”
The troops to be stationed in San Diego and El Paso are expected to be on the job by March 7.
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