Dejavu
Senior DOD Official: Three Migrant Caravans Headed to U.S., One with 12,000
There are three migrant caravans headed to the United States’ southern border with Mexico, according to top Pentagon official John Rood.
Rood testified to the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that one of the caravans contains over 12,000 migrants.
“Current information shows that a caravan of over 12,000 people — there’s three that we are tracking, that the DHS is tracking en route, one that is over 12,000 by the latest estimate,” said Rood, who is the under secretary of Defense for policy.
Rood said there are currently more than 2,300 active duty troops at the southern border, down from a high of 5,900 in November.
But he says several thousands more active duty troops are expected to head to the border in the coming weeks, to assist the Department of Homeland Security with laying down more concertina wire, and helping to monitor the border between points of entry.
Democrats, who now control the House, called Pentagon officials in to testify on President Trump’s order of active duty troops to the border in October, which they have called a political stunt by the White House before midterm election.
But defense officials testified that it was the Pentagon — not the White House — decided that active duty troops were able to deploy faster and were better resourced to deal with the caravans headed to the border than National Guard and reserve forces.
“That was a decision made inside the Department,” said Navy Adm. Michael Gilday, the director for operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Democrat lawmakers also questioned whether there was a crisis that necessitated the deployment of troops, when the number of illegal immigrants coming across the border have been higher in previous years.
“The difference is really the caravans and really the nature of the asylum seekers,” Rood said.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/01/30/senior-dod-official-three-migrant-caravans-headed-to-u-s-one-with-12000/
Senior DOD Official: Three Migrant Caravans Headed to U.S., One with 12,000
There are three migrant caravans headed to the United States’ southern border with Mexico, according to top Pentagon official John Rood.
Rood testified to the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that one of the caravans contains over 12,000 migrants.
“Current information shows that a caravan of over 12,000 people — there’s three that we are tracking, that the DHS is tracking en route, one that is over 12,000 by the latest estimate,” said Rood, who is the under secretary of Defense for policy.
Rood said there are currently more than 2,300 active duty troops at the southern border, down from a high of 5,900 in November.
But he says several thousands more active duty troops are expected to head to the border in the coming weeks, to assist the Department of Homeland Security with laying down more concertina wire, and helping to monitor the border between points of entry.
Democrats, who now control the House, called Pentagon officials in to testify on President Trump’s order of active duty troops to the border in October, which they have called a political stunt by the White House before midterm election.
But defense officials testified that it was the Pentagon — not the White House — decided that active duty troops were able to deploy faster and were better resourced to deal with the caravans headed to the border than National Guard and reserve forces.
“That was a decision made inside the Department,” said Navy Adm. Michael Gilday, the director for operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Democrat lawmakers also questioned whether there was a crisis that necessitated the deployment of troops, when the number of illegal immigrants coming across the border have been higher in previous years.
“The difference is really the caravans and really the nature of the asylum seekers,” Rood said.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/01/30/senior-dod-official-three-migrant-caravans-headed-to-u-s-one-with-12000/