Culture

Trump Will Sign A Proclamation Deploying The National Guard To The U.S-Mexico Border

The day after he promised to involve the military, the White House declared President Trump will sign a proclamation deploying the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told reporters at the Wednesday press briefing that Trump “has directed that the Department of the Defense and the Department of Homeland Security work together with our governors to deploy the National Guard to our southwest border to assist the border patrol.” In conclusion, she added, Trump “will be signing a proclamation to that effect today.”

While Nielsen’s announcement of the coming proclamation and Trump’s marching orders to deploy the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border came officially during Wednesday’s press briefing, the New York Times reports the president first began discussing the prospect the night before. “By Tuesday evening, the White House said Mr. Trump had been referring to mobilizing the National Guard.” Nielsen added, “We do hope the deployment begins immediately,” as officials tasked with following Trump’s proclamation are “working with all haste.”

As randomly boisterous as Trump’s comments and Wednesday followup may seem, however, the Times and other outlets were quick to note that he will not be the first president to deploy the National Guard to the southwest border in recent memory. As USA Today points out, “Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama also deployed limited numbers of National Guard troops on the border for short periods of time.”

(Via ABC News, New York Times and USA Today)