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US President Joe Biden’s administration will temporarily send 1,500 additional troops to help secure the US-Mexico border, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, in preparation for a possible increase in illegal immigration when COVID-19 border restrictions are lifted this month.
The 90-day deployment of active-duty forces will augment the work of the US Border Patrol but not carry out law enforcement duties, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement. They will perform ground-based monitoring, data entry and warehouse support to free up border agents and “fill critical capability gaps,” Ryder said.
The troops will be in addition to the deployment of about 2,500 National Guard troops.
The so-called Title 42 ban, which expires on May 11, allows US authorities to quickly deport non-Mexican migrants to Mexico without the opportunity to seek asylum.
Troops will begin arriving May 10.
Ryder told reporters that even as troops are deployed, the Pentagon is looking for ways to replace active duty personnel with those potentially from reserve forces.
Past presidents have made similar deployments
Biden, a Democrat up for re-election in 2024, has struggled with the number of migrants caught illegally crossing the US-Mexico border since taking office in 2021.
Republicans criticized Biden for reversing the hardline policies of former US president Donald Trump, who is the party’s nominee. Some Democrats and immigration activists also criticized Biden for being slow to strengthen his approach to border security.
Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat and chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, said Biden’s decision to send troops was unacceptable.
“Trying to score political points or terrorize migrants by sending the military to the border is the Republican Party’s xenophobic attack on our asylum system,” Menendez said in a statement.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, when asked about the troop deployment at a press conference, said the US is a sovereign country and Mexico respects its decision.
US military forces have been used to help secure the border under previous presidential administrations, including Republican George W. Bush, Democrat Barack Obama and Trump, who have sent thousands of active-duty troops and National Guard troops.
Pentagon leaders have long been frustrated about military deployments to the border, privately arguing that routine tasks are better suited for law enforcement agencies and could affect military readiness.
Immigration lawyers have criticized previous efforts to send troops to the border.
“Asylum seekers must meet with humanitarian professionals, welcome volunteers, and medical and mental health professionals. Not soldiers,” tweeted Bilal Askaryar, interim manager of the #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign.
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