President Donald trump signed a proclamation earlier this month, on Wednesday, April 4, because we have reached “a point of crisis,” ordering up to 4,000 National Guard troops from Texas and Arizona to the US Mexico border to combat illegal immigration. 100 members of the Texas National Guard are at the border, and they plan on sending 150 more over the weekend. Texas plans on sending 300 soldiers a week until there are enough. Non-border states like Arkansas plan on contributing their own soldiers if there aren’t enough members in the border-states’ National Guard.

Mixed reviews

This order was a step towards proper border security, and to stop illegal immigration while Congress finalizes loopholes in US immigration policy. The deployment of troops has received mixed signals from citizens. Campus Reform released a video asking students for their opinions about how both Trump and Obama sent troops to the border. One student said, “It’s not justified...it’s a totally uncalled for act of power.” Another student said, “I don’t think it’s good to send militarized troops to people who are coming in unarmed.” Most feedback on the order has been negative, and students do not support sending military personnel to the border for fear of unjust arrests.

What is going to happen?

The National Guard’s role during their deployment to the border, according to the Department of Homeland Security, is to “secure the border and make America safe.” These soldiers won’t carry guns and aren’t allowed to make arrests. An Army special operations green beret that secured the border for three weeks writes that the “military is not allowed to arrest or engage unless life is threatened.

They only observe and report.” The sole purpose of this mission is to protect our nation’s border and keep America full of legal citizens.

Precedence

This is not the first time a president has sent troops to secure the border. Former President Barack Obama ordered 1200 National Guard troops in 2010, and again in 2014 to help state and federal law enforcement turn away a surge of illegal immigrants.

Former President George Bush also sent thousands of troops to the US-Mexico border.

With the new influx of immigrants attempting to breach the border, one caravan full at a time with the propensity to smuggle drugs, crime, and hollow citizenship it is imperative that we take all precautions necessary to protect our homeland until the wall is completed.
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