The White House Assures Critics that the Troops Heading to the Border Will Not Engage Migrants

(TotalConservative.com) – After announcing on Tuesday that 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops will be sent to the southern border to help deal with the expected migrant surge following the termination of Title 42, the White House assured critics that these soldiers are not going to be engaging migrants. The troops are ordered to act in administrative roles only to provide extra support for Border Patrol.

White House officials said on Tuesday that around 1,500 troops from various Army units will be deployed to the border to serve for up to 90 days in transport and administrative roles so Border Patrol and law enforcement will be free to deal with the oncoming surge of migrant encounters. This announcement led some critics to believe the soldiers would be engaging directly with migrants, but the White House assured people on Wednesday that this is not the case.

Although the troops will not be engaging migrants, they will still be armed for self-defense purposes.

The recent decision was made in response to the looming end of Title 42, a public health order put in place in March 2020, at the end of former President Donald Trump’s administration and the beginning of the pandemic, as a measure to try and slow down the spread of the virus. The order allows for the quick expulsion of those who cross the border illegally.

One lawmaker opposed to the Democratic president’s decision is fellow Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez from New Jersey. Menendez called the decision “unacceptable” and said that sending the military to the border “signals” to the public that migrants “are a threat” requiring military intervention to contain, which he said was far from the truth.

Karine Jean-Pierre, Press Secretary for the White House, was sent out on Wednesday to assure those opposed to the action that the troops will not be engaging with any migrants but working in administration and transport.

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