What should be done about the caravan of people coming to the U.S.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, predictably, now that the midterms are over, so is the non-stop caravan fear-mongering by the White House and FOX News.  

The focus now is on changing asylum rights to exclude migrants who enter outside of official border points; illegally.  

Snip:
The Trump administration introduced new measures Thursday to deny asylum to migrants who enter the country illegally, invoking national security powers to curb long-standing humanitarian protections for foreigners arriving on American soil.

The restrictions will invoke authorities used by President Trump to implement his “travel ban” in early 2017, according to senior administration officials who outlined them, and apply indefinitely.

The measures are expected to face swift legal challenges. Immigrant advocacy groups insist that U.S. laws clearly extend asylum protections to anyone who reaches the United States and expresses a fear of persecution, no matter how they enter the country.

“Those who enter the country between [official] ports of entry — i.e., illegally — are knowingly and voluntarily breaking the law,” one administration official said. “So it’s just important to remind everybody that while all immigration laws do afford people various forms of protection, the reality is that it’s a violation of federal law to enter our country in the manner that these illegal aliens are entering the country.”  Full story:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/nat...cf68bf28af
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If this change gets invoked, I hope the government doesn't close ports of entry in order to push migrants who intend to enter legally into crossing illegally.

[Maggot]

Good.

[Duchess]

If this change gets invoked, I hope the government doesn't close ports of entry in order to push migrants who intend to enter legally into crossing illegally.

My opinion of course, but my first reaction is to say, you know damn well that's exactly what it is designed to do.

[Duchess]

$200 million to deploy 5,000 troops to the border over Thanksgiving for a political stunt. All of you who bitched about the deficit in the past, speak up or forever hold your peace.

[Maggot]

That number is inflated quite a bit by left leaning media sources. Whether the troops are shining planes or digging ditches they are getting paid their pay. If they are on the border or in Iraq they are getting their pay. There is a little bit of pay increase for working in a war zone but they are still getting paid their base pay no matter what they're doing.

[HairOfTheDog]

The number of military troops deployed reported by the media is accurate, as is the estimated $200 million price tag by end of year.......assuming Trump actually sends the 15,000 troops he promised during his midterm campaigning.

That's the $$ estimate for the extra military troops and National Guard deployment to the border for fiscal year 2018, according to the official Pentagon docs posted upthread.

However, the estimate will drop if Trump instead caps the military troop deployment at around 5,600 (present status). And, the estimated cost of the full operation will obviously increase if the number of troops increases and/or the length of deployment goes beyond the end of the year.

The Pentagon predicts that about 1,400 migrants in the current caravans will make it to the U.S. border. If that bears out, the ratio of military troops to migrants will be at least 3 to 1 (and that doesn't include Border Patrol agents).

That number of migrants coming around the same time is not unmanageable without the extra military troops. In September, the latest month for which data is available, border agents arrested or denied entry to 1,685 undocumented immigrants per day on average.

[HairOfTheDog]

Anyway, since midterm voting ended, the name of the operation has been officially changed from "Operation Faithful Patriot" to simply "border support".

The 5,000+ troops stationed at the border are erecting tents for themselves and border control agents, plus rolling out barbed wire barriers around those tent cities.

Military officials say that can be good training for future deployments where the military troops would actually have active duties instead of serving as a perceived deterrent or 'human wall'.

The troops at the border will wear body armor, but most won't be armed and none are authorized to proactively interact with migrants. Only Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents are permitted to interact with migrants.

CBP is the largest federal law enforcement agency in the United States, with more than 40,000 sworn officers and more than 60,000 total employees.

Some military officials and veterans continue to voice their concerns that this is not a military operation, it's a political one.

Refs:
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-...beginning/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/nat...dc84e0aa36
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigra...ot-n934501

[Rootilda]

I will never not be amazed at how Trump cultists will make excuses for every execrable thing he does. "So what if these highly trained military members are sent to a location where they're underutilized and unneeded, away from their family members during the holidays and their morale goes to shit?" How can the GOP claim they love our military members? Never mind the added expense.

[BigMark]

That's what they signed up for you moron.

[Maggot]

The razor wire is planted the entrance ways are clearly marked,the tents are set up. If these migrants can only use force to get their way it's their own fault. Who in their right mind leaves their doors open then go on vacation?

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm more worried that the military troops at the border are going to have a tougher time with scores of armed unsanctioned militia members (like the 3 Percenters and Minutemen) than with the migrants.

The rhetoric has been out of control. Hoping it doesn't lead to violence at the border, which hasn't been a problem in the past.

[Rootilda]

That's what they signed up for you moron.

Have you served in the military? Yeah, didn't think so.

[HairOfTheDog]

That's what they signed up for you moron.

Why do you believe that people in the military signed up to be assistants to Border Control Agents, Biggie?  I get the sense that it's a surprising mission for most of them and their commanders (aside from those in the National Guard).

[BigMark]

You do what you are told to do. War is hell, this is a hangnail.

[Duchess]

Ahahahaha. A hang nail. The proper term is bullshit. No one serves their country to be a pawn in a political stunt. You guys just need to own this ridiculous crap. You're not stupid, you know what trump did.

[Maggot]

I would imagine they would have second thoughts knowing they would be meet with such resistance. Just the idea of clashes after going through Mexico may give many pause to think this thing out a little further. They have cellphones they can see the news.

[HairOfTheDog]

President Trump still hasn't visited troops overseas.

But, he was scheduled to visit the troops at the border today.

He cancelled. Mattis and Nielsen are there instead.

[Duchess]

President Trump still hasn't visited troops overseas.

But, he was scheduled to visit the troops at the border today.

He cancelled.  Mattis and Nielsen are there instead.

He's been pouting & very crabby since the election.

[Maggot]

Service members have no say at all where they go, they go where they are told to go and must do the best job they can. The president is the top leader in the military and there is nobody above him. This is where Patton screwed up. You folks are thinking like civilians.

[Maggot]

President Trump still hasn't visited troops overseas.

But, he was scheduled to visit the troops at the border today.

He cancelled.  Mattis and Nielsen are there instead.

He's been pouting & very crabby since the election.

The mid terms were not that bad, they could have been worse and the pubs own most of the state legislatures still. eh..........so what? Trump is over reacting and letting all the idiots and retards get to him. He needs to ignore 90% of clowns and circus performers..