Pentagon appears poised to extend Mexico border deployment

[Swordsmyth]

The Pentagon received a request on Friday from the Trump administration to extend its deployment of troops to the U.S. border with Mexico beyond a Dec. 15 authorization date to the end of January, officials said.Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is expected to sign off on the extension of the mission, strongly hinted earlier this week that such a request by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was in the works.


The Department of Homeland Security, in a statement, cited the "the very real threat we face at the border from potential mass migration actions" when it confirmed the extension of the mission, which had been reported earlier on Friday by Reuters.
"The president has made it clear that border security is a top administration priority," DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said in a statement.
This request refines support to ensure it remains aligned with the current situation, the nature of the mission, and Customs and Border Patrol operational requirements.
About 5,600 troops have been deployed to the border, but many of them have been involved in efforts to improve security around border crossings, including stringing up concertina wire. Many of those troops could be sent home. Remaining troops could focus on other missions, including helping fly U.S. border personnel to new positions along the border.
Still, officials caution that its unclear how far troop levels will decline. One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said troop levels were not expected to decline dramatically.

More at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-gets-request-extend-mexico-border-deployment-205343073.html

[spudea]

But it was just a pre election stunt REEEEEE

[Swordsmyth]

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has requested the deployment of civilian law enforcement officers from several other Cabinet departments to the U.S.-Mexico border as early as next week, according to an internal memo obtained by POLITICO.
In what current and former U.S. officials said would be an unprecedented move, the officers — who in most cases have duties entirely unrelated to border security — would help Border Patrol agents repel what the memo calls “migrant caravans originating from Central America.”

The request suggests that personnel with such assignments as guarding diplomats, patrolling national parks, and protecting nuclear weapons might effectively “become Customs and Border Protection personnel,” as one former Justice Department official put it, with the power to arrest border-crossers.

A senior DHS official who confirmed the memo’s authenticity said the Justice Department has already made a commitment to dispatch officers to the border, and that DHS is actively “working with” other departments named in the memo to determine the availability of law enforcement resources.

The memo was sent to leaders of the departments of State, Labor, Energy, Transportation, Interior and Justice.

More at: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/30/kirstjen-nielsen-border-police-1035554

[Pauls' Revere]

List of Ongoing World Conflicts:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_armed_conflicts

Mexico is shaded the same color as Iraq and Afghanistan. Accordingly to this criteria.

This list of ongoing armed conflicts is for the sole purpose of identifying present-day conflicts and the death toll associated with each conflict. The guidelines of inclusion are:

Armed conflicts consist in the use of armed force between two or more organized armed groups, governmental or non-governmental alike.[1] Interstate, intrastate and non-state armed conflicts are listed.
Fatality figures include battle-related deaths (military and civilian) as well as civilians intentionally targeted by the parties to an armed conflict. Only direct deaths resulting from violence are included for the current and past year; excess deaths indirectly resulting from famine, disease and disruption of services are included along with violent deaths only in the cumulative fatalities count, when available.
Listed conflicts are at least 100 cumulative deaths in total and at least 1 death in current or past calendar year.
Fatality totals may be underestimated or unavailable due to a lack of information. A figure with a plus sign indicates that at least that many people have died (e.g. 455+ indicates that at least 455 people have died) – the actual toll could be higher.
Location refers to the state(s) where the main violence takes place, not to the warring parties. Italics indicate disputed territories and unrecognized states.
Only states with ongoing military activity are listed, past states and states where conflicts are no longer active are omitted.
Military conflicts that no longer produce deaths are not listed here, but can be found in the historical list of wars and the list of wars extended by diplomatic irregularity.

[Zippyjuan]

They are expected to fulfill critical duties.


Remaining troops could focus on other missions, including helping fly U.S. border personnel to new positions along the border.

[Swordsmyth]

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis approved a request Tuesday from the Department of Homeland Security to extend the deployment of U.S. troops at the Mexico border through the end of January.
The secretary’s approval means thousands of troops will spend the holidays assisting Customs and Border Patrol agents deal with caravans of migrants arriving at the border.

“The secretary of defense has approved an extension of the ongoing Department of Defense ... support to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) response to migrant caravan arrivals," Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. “DoD support to DHS is authorized until Jan. 31, 2019.”

More at: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/jim-mattis-extends-border-deployment-through-the-holidays