By Stephen Dinan and S.A. Miller - The Washington Times - Wednesday, November 21, 2018
The White House has sent a memo to the Pentagon granting troops stationed at the border authority to engage in some law enforcement and to use lethal force if they are in danger.
The Defense Department said it’s received the memo and is “reviewing it,†suggesting the new policy is not yet operational.
It was signed not by President Trump but by White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, said Military Times, which was the first to report the memo had been finalized after a week of speculation.
The paper said Mr. Kelly authorized troops to assist the Border Patrol in crowd control and even detaining illegal immigrants.
Homeland Security said it welcomed the new assistance.
“As Secretary [Kirstjen] Nielsen has said, we will not allow our frontline personnel to be in harm’s way,†said spokeswoman Katie Waldman. “We will do everything we can to protect those who defend our nation’s sovereignty and secure our border. We appreciate the Department of Defense stepping in to assist the Department of Homeland Security as needed.â€
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https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/21/border-troops-authorized-use-force/
