August 5, 2022 11:59am EDT
Pentagon denies Bowser request for National Guard to assist in 'humanitarian crisis,' as migrants arrive in DC
A senior defense official said providing the support to DC would 'negatively impact the readiness' of the National Guard
By Brooke Singman , Liz Friden , Adam Shaw | Fox News
The Department of Defense on Friday denied Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser’s request for 150 National Guard troops amid what she called a "humanitarian crisis" as an influx of migrants arrived in the nation’s capital.
Bowser last week requested that the D.C. National Guard help with the thousands of migrants arriving to Union Station in Washington and requested that the D.C. Armory be used as a processing center.
A senior defense official on Friday told Fox News that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin "has declined to approve the DCHSEMA request for DCNG to provide personnel and the DC Armory to assist the NGO, SAMU First Response, with transportation and reception of migrants arriving in the D.C. area.
"We have determined providing this support would negatively impact the readiness of the DCNG and have negative effects on the organization and members," the official said. "We understand SAMU First Response has received grant funding through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program, and has indicated that sufficient EFSP funds exist at this point to provide migrant assistance."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pentagon-denies-bowser-request-national-guard-assist-humanitarian-crisis-migrants-arrive-dc
