USA: National Guard deployed to Mexican border /update 1

Event

Some 250 Texas National Guard troops have been ordered to the Mexican border by Tuesday, April 10. Another 150 troops from the Arizona National Guard are also expected to be deployed to the border within the coming week. According to US law, the Guardsmen will not be permitted to perform law enforcement duties on US soil, such as carry out arrests; they are expected to offer support services to the Border Patrol. The operation is currently financed to run through October 2018.

Context

On April 4, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing governors of border states to deploy reservist soldiers to assist the Border Patrol with its duties. It is unclear if the governors of California and New Mexico will comply. The executive order follows Trump’s recent failure to secure sufficient funding in the 2018 budget to build his promised border wall.

There are already some 16,000 border agents and 6500 customs officers permanently stationed at the border.

Advice

Individuals in the border region are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to adhere to any instructions issued by local authorities.