Pentagon Will Keep Troops on Southern Border Through 2021

The formal militarization of the southern border will continue through September 2021, the Pentagon announced Thursday. The border deployment, in support of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) forces, began shortly before the 2018 congressional elections, when President Trump portrayed a “migrant caravan” as a security threat. Currently, 2,600 active-duty and 2,400 National Guard personnel operate at the border. Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said that Defense Secretary Mark Esper has authorized 4,000 troops, primarily from the Guard, to continue what he described as “detection and monitoring, logistics, and transportation support” missions for CBP.