JAKARTA - President Joe Biden's administration plans to send 1.500 additional troops to help secure the US-Mexico border for a while, the Pentagon said as part of anticipating possible increased illegal immigration when COVID-19 border restrictions were lifted later this month.
The deployment of active duty forces for 90 days will complement the work of US Border Patrols, but do not carry out law enforcement duties, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement.
"They will conduct ground-based monitoring, data entry, and "filling a critical gap in capabilities," Brigadier General Ryder said.
Later, the troops will increase the deployment of around 2,500 National Guard troops.
1.500 troops can arrive at the US-Mexico border on May 10, Brigadier General Ryder said at the briefing. The Pentagon is looking for ways to replace active duty personnel with personnel from the reserve forces.
The restrictions, called Title 42, which expires on May 11, allow US authorities to quickly expel non-Mexico migrants to Mexico without the opportunity to seek asylum.
President Biden has grappled with a record number of illegally arrested migrants crossing the US-Mexico border since he took office in 2021.
Meanwhile, Republicans criticized President Biden's administration for revoking the tough policies of his party-based predecessor, Donald Trump, regarding the issue of illegal immigrants.
On the other hand, some Democratic and immigration activists have also criticized President Biden for gradually strengthening his approach to border security.
Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat and chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said President Biden's decision to send troops was unacceptable.
"Trying to score political points or intimidate migrants by sending the military to the border serving the Republican xenophobia attack on our asylum system," Menendez criticized in a statement.
Asked about this, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the US was a sovereign country and Mexico respected its decision.
The US military has been used to help secure borders during previous presidential rule, including Republican George W. Bush, Democrat Barack Obama, to Trump who deployed thousands of active troops and National Guard troops.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called such a deployment "public practice."
Meanwhile, Pentagon leaders have long been frustrated about military deployments to the border, personally arguing general tasks are more suitable for law enforcement agencies and could affect military readiness.
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