Trump threatens to use troops to close border at Mexico to stop caravan

In a series of tweets sent out early Thursday, President Donald Trump said he would use American troops close the border with Mexico to stop the flow of a caravan of migrants heading north.

Trump said Mexico should do more to stop the caravans that were coming from Central America and if that didn’t happen, “I will call up the U.S. Military and close our southern border.”

The caravan of about 4,000 people from Central America were nearing the Mexico-Guatemala border.

I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018

….In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught – and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018

….The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA. Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border. All Democrats fault for weak laws!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018

Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, told KTAR News 92.3 FM that sending troops to the border would cause more problems than solutions.

“Even if (Trump) sends troops to the border and we apprehend 100 percent of the individuals who cross the border illegally, because we don’t have the resources to detain these individuals, to see them through their asylum claims or their pending deportation proceedings, ultimately they get released into the United States, then they disappear, never to be seen again,” Judd said.

“So even if you send the troops there, you can’t stop (immigrants) from not crossing the border illegally because all they have to do is step one foot into the United States and now we have to take them into custody and once we take them into custody, then they have all the rights of those different proceedings.”

Judd said there is also no way to “close the border,” like the president wants to.

“What he could do is put economic sanctions on Mexico, shut down the ports of entry and not let the trade come into the United States, but by doing that he would hurt U.S. interests as well because we rely on those goods that are coming across,” he added.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said he is concerned with Trump’s comment and worries about what that would mean for residents along the border.

“I am concerned with how he’s going to do it in Santa Cruz County and the impact it will have on my people here. What do you have here? Do you have a war zone? What’s going on here?” he said.

“Obviously, it’s overkill, inappropriate, untimely and inhumane,” he added. “I don’t agree with a lot of things this administration is doing and I certainly do not agree with the enablers.”

U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva said in a statement that the move would “only further militarizes border communities and reinforces a false perception of insecurity and lawlessness.”

In April, Trump signed a proclamation to send the National Guard to the border to keep the migrants from entering the United States.

Dozens of Arizona National Guard members were among those deployed to the border.

Officials in Mexico said anyone in the Honduran caravan who had proper documents could enter the country. The rest would have to apply for refugee status or face deportation.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jeremy Foster contributed to this report. 

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