SANTA TERESA, N.M. (Border Report) – The thousands of troops already deployed to the border could be but the tip of the iceberg of increased cooperation between the Department of Defense and Homeland Security.
DOD already provides aircraft, navigation, logistical support and analysis to enhance intelligence capabilities of DHS agencies like the Border Patrol.
Military airplanes have been used for out-of-country deportation flights in recent weeks, and now there’s reports that bases across the U.S. – including Fort Bliss – will be used to detain migrants prior to deportation.
On Friday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was in the El Paso area assessing the recent troop deployments and discussing future steps in cooperation with DHS in wake of executive orders from President Donald Trump to secure the border.
“It was important for me to come up, particularly with the focus over the course of the past month with the executive orders from the Administration and our focus on the southwest border,” Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., told reporters as he stepped off a helicopter at the Doña Ana International Jetport in Santa Teresa.
Brown spoke about the use of Army aircraft, logistical support and analysis to help “take some of the pressure off” U.S. Customs and Border Protection agencies like the Border Patrol.
He talked about increased coordination between DOD and Homeland Security.
“We are in support of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP. Most of the work we do is in complete support […] helping with the aviation so they can actually spot and put their resources in the place wherever action ICE or CBP are going to take,” Brown said. “We will continue to plan with our DHS colleagues on the way forward.”
The Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff did not address reports of military bases being used as deportation hubs and referred specific questions about migrant arrests or detentions to DHS.
He briefly touched on increased coordination with Mexico to deal with transnational criminal organizations flooding America with fentanyl. As with migration, DOD will only act in a supporting role, such as training Mexican troops.
“I think the aspect of the planning we’re able to do much more closely with Homeland Security will actually build up the mission of what the Department of Defense will do in support of Homeland Security to focus on the cartels and focus in the migration issue,” he said.
Read: Read More