WALL OF GREEN: Mattis Approves 4,000 Guard Troops for Mexican Border.
A Defense Department memo said the Guard members will not perform law enforcement functions or “interact with migrants or other persons detained” without Mattis’s approval. It said “arming will be limited to circumstances that might require self-defense,” but it did not further define that.
In a joint statement, Mattis and homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the decision came after their departments “identified security vulnerabilities that could be addressed by the National Guard.
“Together, the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense are committed to using every lever of power to support the men and women of law enforcement defending our nation’s sovereignty and protecting the American people.
“We will continue to work with the governors to deploy the necessary resources until our nation’s borders are secure.”