'Road to chaos': Trump orders 'thousands' of troops and 'illegal' arrests at border

22 January

President Donald Trump’s actions on immigration and border security have raised concerns among Americans, including among immigrants’ rights advocates and military experts. Within his first few days in office, the President reportedly directed that anyone crossing the southern border into the U.S. be immediately returned, a move that legal experts claim violates federal and international law. Additionally, Trump has ordered the deployment of “thousands” of military troops to the border—potentially as many as 10,000, according to CNN—on top of the more than 2000 already stationed there. Calling them “political props,” some military experts have criticized this action as unnecessary.

“The Trump administration asked the military earlier this week to be prepared to deploy up to 10,000 active duty troops immediately, setting off a scramble inside the Pentagon, one of the officials and another person familiar with the matter told CNN,” the news network reported Wednesday.

“Citing President Trump’s extraordinary move to close the American asylum system, U.S. border agents have been instructed to summarily deport migrants crossing into the country illegally without allowing them to request legal protection, according to internal government documents and agency officials,” CBS News adds. “Just hours after being sworn in, Mr. Trump invoked sweeping presidential authorities to bar the entry of migrants deemed to be participating in an ‘invasion’ of the U.S., as well as those who may pose a public health or national security risk.”

CBS News’ Camilo Montoya-Galvez adds, “President Trump has effectively revived the Covid-era Title 42 policy, suspending U.S. asylum law for unauthorized migrants entering the country. But instead of using public health law, he’s asserting sweeping constitutional and 212(f) powers and arguing there’s an ‘invasion.'”

Iraq War veteran, veterans’ activist, and writer Paul Rieckhoff blasted President Trump for sending more troops to the border.

“There already 2,500 National Guard and Reserve forces there. Sending active duty troops to the border now is nothing more than Trump overtly using them as political props,” he charged. “Especially since active duty troops are forbidden from doing law enforcement under the Posse Comitatus Act. They can’t arrest or detain anyone at the border unless Trump acts to invoke the Insurrection Act. Which of course may be next.”

“Nevertheless,” Rieckhoff added, “this is a blatant politicization and misuse of our military by Trump. And likely just the first of many to come. Especially if [Pete] Hegseth is confirmed [as Secretary of Defense]. Everything in America is going to be used and politicized by Trump. Our military most egregiously and dangerously of all. Strap in, folks. And stay vigilant. This is just the start. #PresidentMayhem is back.”

Attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, an immigration policy expert and senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, called Trump’s order to essentially send back immigrants crossing the border, “Flagrantly and flatly illegal.”

“A president cannot erase the laws passed by Congress and the right to due process with the stroke of a pen,” Reichlin-Melnick said. “This is an invocation of authority that should worry any American. A president is not a king. He is bound by the law and must remain so.”

MSNBC columnist Michael A. Cohen, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic Studies (CSS), added, “Trump is basically ignoring domestic and international law by doing this.”

“So disturbing that U.S. law enforcement officers at CBP are being directed to violate laws enacted by Congress & treaties entered into by the United States. This is the opposite of the rule of law. It’s the road to chaos. And will endanger lives here & around the world,” observed Eleanor Acer, Refugee Protection director at Human Rights First.

From Your Site Articles