U.S. troops remain at southern border despite waning migration, as coronavirus spreads elsewhere
By Molly O’TooleStaff Writer
March 23, 2020
6:05 PM
The United States is in a state of emergency, with thousands of active-duty military and National Guard troops deployed — and not because of the coronavirus.
Under the “national emergency†that President Trump declared in February 2019, roughly 5,200 troops remain at the U.S. southern border to assist in detecting undocumented migrants, though apprehensions are at the lowest levels in years. While other National Guard and military units respond to the rapidly spreading virus, the troops at the border are authorized to stay there through Sept. 30, according to the Defense Department.
The Pentagon “has no plans to pull units off the border for coronavirus response,†Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell told The Times in a statement Monday. The mission has cost more than $500 million, he said.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-23/5-200-troops-remain-deployed-to-southern-border-as-migration-wanes-but-coronavirus-cases-spike
