WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday said until his wall is built, he will deploy “the military” along the U.S. — Mexico border, the latest in a series of escalating moves related to immigration.
What does Trump really have in mind here? It’s all unfolding in real time.
This is like Trump’s seemingly whimsical order to the Pentagon to come up with a military parade in Washington, with far more serious long-term consequences to the troops.
Trump is frustrated that Mexico and Congress are resisting paying for his wall.
OPINION
In the spending bill Congress approved last month, Trump’s request of $25 billion for a border wall was cut to only $1.6 billion.
Trump with his tweet tirades in the past few days focused on immigration. He is using DACA recipients and the NAFTA trade deal as leverage for wall funding. He is trying to divert money Congress allocated to the Pentagon for the wall, which Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and others said cannot be done.
This Trump call to send troops to the southern border was not a planned rollout of a major military operation, where the details have been nailed down.
Rather, Trump’s announcement came during what at times seemed like stream of consciousness riffs — before a lunch with the leaders of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania and again at a press conference with the presidents of the Baltic nations.
In the Oval Office, Trump said, “I’ve been speaking with (Defense Secretary) General Mattis — we’re going to be doing things militarily. Until we can have a wall and proper security, we’re going to be guarding our border with the military. That’s a big step. We really haven’t done that before — certainly not very much before.”
At the later press conference Trump added, “So we are preparing for the military to secure our border between Mexico and the United States. We have a meeting on it in a little while with General Mattis and everybody and I think it is something we have to do.”
Among the top items to consider:
• Who did Trump have in mind when he said “the military?” How many?
Active duty troops? National Guard? The reserve?
In his remarks, Trump did not make any distinction. This would be one of the first issues to resolve.
• On Tuesday evening, the White House, in a statement, noted that the Trump administration strategy “includes the mobilization of the National Guard.”
Active duty troops are training to be deployed to places of war or potential conflict. Troops now in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan cannot return and be immediately redeployed. That’s against Pentagon policy.
• How would Trump make sure sending “the military” to the border would not violate the Posse Comitatus Act? That’s the law that restricts the role of the military from law enforcement in the U.S.
• Which leads directly to the next question: What will Trump actually want “the military” to do?
This kind of operation would have to develop rules of engagement — what in Pentagon jargon is called the TTP, or the specific “Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures.”
• If Trump taps the National Guard, who would pay? Or would he order federalizing the guard? Governors don’t want their state-based units called up unless the federal government promises to cover the tab.
And in this tense political Trump era, would any Democratic governor whose units are called up go along and say nothing?
How long would it take before in Illinois, Democratic governor nominee J.B. Pritzker makes this an issue, and add this matter to the list of Trump-related items where GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner stands mute.
vHow long would “the military” be at the border?
Former presidents have sent troops to the southern border.
In 2006, former President George W. Bush sent about 6,000 members of the National Guard to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California over a two-year period. In 2010, former President Barack Obama deployed about 1,200 National Guard troops to deal with drug smuggling.
Both times the troops were to support the Border Patrol. The military has in the past provided drones, planes and helicopters to help with surveillance.
With funding unclear, if Trump sends “the military” to the southern border until his wall is built, it could indeed be for a very long time.
