Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen announced at the White House press briefing on Wednesday that the Trump administration intends to send members of the National Guard to bolster security at the United States’ southern border.
“The President has directed the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to work together with the governors to deploy the National Guard to the southwest border to assist border patrol,” she said. “The President will be signing a proclamation to that effect today.”
She did not disclose how many troops would be sent, nor the cost of the endeavor, but asserted that they would be deployed “immediately.” She added that, at this point in the plan, the troops are intended to operate in a support, not enforcement, capacity.
