Pentagon: 3,750 more troops heading to Mexico border

The United States is to deploy 3,750 more troops to its southern border with Mexico as President Donald Trump ramps up his rhetoric in favor of enhanced “security” against what he calls a migrant invasion.

"The Department of Defense will deploy approximately 3,750 additional US forces to provide the additional support to CBP (Customs and Border Protection) at the southwest border that Acting Secretary of Defense (Pat) Shanahan approved Jan. 11," the Pentagon said in a statement on Sunday.

The contingents, which are to stay there for three months, will bring the overall number of the troops stationed on the common border to 4,350.

Soldiers were first sent to the common border last November on Trump’s order to allegedly provide logistical support to civilian patrols. Now, their task is also to include "a mobile surveillance capability through the end of September 2019, as well as the emplacement of approximately 150 miles of concertina wire between ports of entry."

The issue of security on the border has been central to Trump’s discourse since he began campaigning for presidency. He has vocally called for the creation of a wall on the frontier, saying the migrants fleeing poverty and violence in Mexico would lead to a rise in crime in the US if allowed in.

Also on Sunday, the president tweeted, "With Caravans marching through Mexico and toward our Country, Republicans must be prepared to do whatever is necessary for STRONG Border Security."

"Dems (the Democrats) do nothing. If there is no Wall, there is no Security. Human Trafficking, Drugs, and Criminals of all dimensions - KEEP OUT!" he added.

Congress refusal to provide Trump with the $5.7 billion he needs to build the wall resulted in the longest government shutdown in the US. On January 25, the president signed legislation to temporarily end the shutdown, dropping his previous insistence on immediate funding for wall construction.

PressTV-Trump signs bill ending longest US government shutdown

President Donald Trump has signed legislation to reopen shuttered government departments for three weeks.

He buckled under pressure from Democrats, who have called the wall unnecessary and accused him of trying to create the illusion of a security crisis on the border.

Sending troops to border is 'piece of political theater'

A political analyst says that the issue of troop deployment to the US border with Mexico “is a piece of political theater,” which has nothing to do with improving security.

“It has everything to do with political theater and about nothing to do with securing the border,” Frank Emspak, former executive director of the Workers Independent News, told Press TV on Sunday.

He also said people coming to the US border want to apply for asylum and the solution is to employ judges to process their applications.

“Almost every expert in border security has said that the thing that will help most is to have judges to process people’s asylum claims. Almost all the people coming from Central America – these caravans – are coming to ask for asylum not to cross the border illegally,” he said.

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