Democratic lawmakers have slammed President Biden for his choice to deploy 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops to assist with the administrative efforts at the southern border. Many lawmakers have claimed that the “militarization” of the U.S.-Mexico border was completely “unacceptable.”
The Biden administration in their announcement on Tuesday reaffirmed that the personnel sent to the border would not be taking on any law enforcement tasks and duties, and instead their 90 days in the Southern border will be the time that they use to help with administrative tasks. This will help free up law enforcement and border patrol officers in the area who will be handling the immigration surge.
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez, D-N.J. slammed this decision noting that currently there is a “humanitarian crisis” and arguing that sending military troops was not helping curb the migration influx, but rather it was just showing that the country perceived immigrants as a threat.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., further argued that this move would potentially hurt “the innocent” people who were just seeking to enter the United States in order to have a better life.
The White House has responded to these criticisms by pointing out that military personnel have been used on the border for almost two decades. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reaffirmed that this is a common practice. She proceeded to state that the troops were being sent to the border during a time when the border is secure according to Biden’s claims.
