05 Apr 2018 | 12:12 PM UTC
USA: Possible militarization of Mexican border
US President Trump orders deployment of National Guard to the Mexican border; size and timing of deployment unknown
Event
US President Donald Trump has threatened to militarize the US-Mexican border. He signed an executive order on Wednesday, April 4, that instructs governors of border states to deploy the National Guard to assist the Border Patrol with their duties. However, the soldiers would not be permitted to carry out arrests and would reportedly not be armed. As of early April 5, there are no details regarding when such a deployment would take place or how large it would be.
There are already some 16,000 border agents and 6500 customs officers stationed at the border.
Context
The move appears to be in reaction to the so-called “migrant caravan,” a march by primarily Honduran and Salvadorian migrants fleeing violence in their countries; the caravan is currently (as of April 5) in southern Mexico moving north towards Mexico City. The executive order also follows Trump’s recent failure to secure sufficient funding in the 2018 budget to build his promised border wall.
Advice
Individuals in the border region are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to adhere to any instructions issued by local authorities.
