So why are National Guard Units there if they don’t have authorization to do anything?
Another waste of taxpayer money to feed Trump’s ego and placate his infantile needs fulfillment.
16
What kind of nonsense is this? Why can't they make arrests? What is the point here? Let them make arrests and secure the border!
2
So, this entire exercise is basically just for show and a huge waste of money - like the planned Trump military parade.
So much for fiscal discipline. R.I.P. GOP.
12
Enforcing laws against illegal immigration is way overdue. Both parties lied when they said immigration laws would be enforced after the 1986 amnesty of 2-3 million illegal immigrants. The flood of immigrants, legal and illegal, over the last 50 years or so has seriously degraded the quality of life for average American citizens.
2
The "reason" for this deployment seems fairly obvious. it is to hype the pretended dangers of illegal immigrants storming the border. In a GOP perfect world, they would be using live ammunition and firing into the Mexican shrubbery. this is beyond depressing. the Republicans are waging a PR war against democracy and they are winning. This is part of it. Our tax dollars at work. VOTE.
13
OMG...what a waste of time, money and expertise. To see these SOLDIERS "guarding" our borders reminds me of the East German troops who guarded the Berlin Wall. Look how well that turned out. As to the National Guard --- I believe that those who join have a higher vision in mind...to be available to give support to our military if and when the US is threatened. I don't see desperate immigrants seeking asylum as a threat to our nation.
9
If we keep to the stated purpose of making the border safer, having the National Guard there is a complete waste of their time and federal taxpayer money.
7
National Guard troops in Texas are repairing roads and fixing vehicles. The Guard is funded primarily by the federal government. Good deal for Texas. The rest of us pick up the tab.
Since the supposed big infrastructure project has fizzled, why don't we deploy the Guard to make repairs in every state?
7
This may not be the best idea ie. using military for police purposes, but something must be done to at least slow down if not stop illegal immigration. The U.S. is already being overrun. You almost have to be able to speak Spanish if you live west of the Mississippi River.
3
Please stay up to date. The net flow of migrants is OUT of the US, not in. The numbers apprehended are at at long time low.
But I guess ideology is more important that facts to a Trump supporter, isn't it? And, BTW, Spanish is the language spoken for hundreds of years pre-Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo...............if you know that that is.
11
Sounds like there are positive benefits despite the restrictions. I'm sure the Border Patrol appreciates the help & support.
5
Only in politically correct America would the military personnel being paid to protect our borders NOT be permitted to look at the direction from which illegal aliens are coming. You can't make this stuff up.
9
This is one of those times when I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and none of this surrealism is actually happening. This entire National Guard at the borders business is for show to make all of trump's low information base feel comfortable. It is nothing but a colossal waste of time, resources, and money. In short, it is simply another "Binky" for his base at public expense.
24
I am in total agreement with your analysis. I'll add that this NY Times article is using the Title 32 restriction as a metaphor for Trumps wholesale paranoia over the illegal immigrant issue. He averts his gaze from real economic issues that plague border states. He ignores our home brewed opioid crisis. And he refuses to see that his nationalistic policies are hurting the status of the US in the eyes of the rest of the world. Yet, he soldiers on proclaiming that he, and only he, can save us from invading hoards. It's just so much baloney and a waste of time.
8
I appreciate the NY Times featuring an article demonstrating the deep respect that our military has for federal law, executive order and constitutional protections after years of misleading stories about the NSA, trying to paint them as the bogeyman when they too are patriots defending our nation.
7
Right on topic. Not.
And, dear NSA supporter, do you REALLY believe the Guardsmen don't look across the border when their commanders (wink, wink) or reporters aren't around?
3
Can't look at what's going on across the river even though that's where the problems originate? How stupid is that? (I'll answer - REALLY stupid)
12
They can only be eyes and ears, if they see or hear anything all they can do is contact border patrol. trump did this only because his GOP congress didn't give him any border wall funds, so he is trying to keep his base in line.
11