Apr 05, 2018
Should President Donald Trump follow through on his plan to deploy the National Guard to the southern border to deter migration from Mexico and Central America, he won't be able to count on Oregon's 5,800 soldiers.
Gov. Kate Brown (D-Ore.) said shortly after Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the president's decision on Wednesday that she would not send her state's National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border, and called the plan an effort to "distract" from Trump's ongoing legal troubles and the chaotic nature of his administration.
\u201cThere\u2019s been no outreach by the President or federal officials, and I have no intention of allowing Oregon\u2019s guard troops to be used to distract from his troubles in Washington.\u201d— Governor Kate Brown (@Governor Kate Brown) 1522878115
Nielsen's announcement came after Trump denounced reports of "caravans" of migrants--many fleeing violence--headed toward the U.S. and insisted the military must be deployed to guard the border until a wall is built--a proposal critics called "beyond disturbing."
The National Guard is made up of citizens who generally hold civilian jobs as well and report for duty when needed to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, and are sometimes deployed on military operations overseas.
Brown is just one of many critics who have voiced serious concerns about militarizing border communities by placing the National Guard for an undetermined amount of time--with military officials saying the move would be construed as needlessly aggressive by U.S. allies to the south and others saying the deployment would amount to an immense waste of resources.
\u201cMilitary troops don't belong at the border. Deploying the military in U.S. communities is a dangerous move and contrary to the fundamental norms of a civil society. https://t.co/6Y6BW5ulOJ\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1522877492
\u201cCommunities in the border region have among the lowest crime rates in the country and there is record-low unauthorized migration. President Trump is trying to create a crisis where there is none.\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1522877492
\u201cSending the National Guard to US-Mexico border is completely irresponsible. Not only is it a total waste of resources but it leaves many states vulnerable in the case of natural disaster. Also, Puerto Rico is still part of America. What about them?\u201d— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1522875133
"We've got the Pacific on one side, the Atlantic on the other and allies to the north and the south. Mexico is not an adversary. Why would you present this offensive barrier to a friendly country?" - Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton https://t.co/WlOdkcvcSn
-- Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 5, 2018
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Should President Donald Trump follow through on his plan to deploy the National Guard to the southern border to deter migration from Mexico and Central America, he won't be able to count on Oregon's 5,800 soldiers.
Gov. Kate Brown (D-Ore.) said shortly after Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the president's decision on Wednesday that she would not send her state's National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border, and called the plan an effort to "distract" from Trump's ongoing legal troubles and the chaotic nature of his administration.
\u201cThere\u2019s been no outreach by the President or federal officials, and I have no intention of allowing Oregon\u2019s guard troops to be used to distract from his troubles in Washington.\u201d— Governor Kate Brown (@Governor Kate Brown) 1522878115
Nielsen's announcement came after Trump denounced reports of "caravans" of migrants--many fleeing violence--headed toward the U.S. and insisted the military must be deployed to guard the border until a wall is built--a proposal critics called "beyond disturbing."
The National Guard is made up of citizens who generally hold civilian jobs as well and report for duty when needed to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, and are sometimes deployed on military operations overseas.
Brown is just one of many critics who have voiced serious concerns about militarizing border communities by placing the National Guard for an undetermined amount of time--with military officials saying the move would be construed as needlessly aggressive by U.S. allies to the south and others saying the deployment would amount to an immense waste of resources.
\u201cMilitary troops don't belong at the border. Deploying the military in U.S. communities is a dangerous move and contrary to the fundamental norms of a civil society. https://t.co/6Y6BW5ulOJ\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1522877492
\u201cCommunities in the border region have among the lowest crime rates in the country and there is record-low unauthorized migration. President Trump is trying to create a crisis where there is none.\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1522877492
\u201cSending the National Guard to US-Mexico border is completely irresponsible. Not only is it a total waste of resources but it leaves many states vulnerable in the case of natural disaster. Also, Puerto Rico is still part of America. What about them?\u201d— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1522875133
"We've got the Pacific on one side, the Atlantic on the other and allies to the north and the south. Mexico is not an adversary. Why would you present this offensive barrier to a friendly country?" - Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton https://t.co/WlOdkcvcSn
-- Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 5, 2018
Should President Donald Trump follow through on his plan to deploy the National Guard to the southern border to deter migration from Mexico and Central America, he won't be able to count on Oregon's 5,800 soldiers.
Gov. Kate Brown (D-Ore.) said shortly after Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the president's decision on Wednesday that she would not send her state's National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border, and called the plan an effort to "distract" from Trump's ongoing legal troubles and the chaotic nature of his administration.
\u201cThere\u2019s been no outreach by the President or federal officials, and I have no intention of allowing Oregon\u2019s guard troops to be used to distract from his troubles in Washington.\u201d— Governor Kate Brown (@Governor Kate Brown) 1522878115
Nielsen's announcement came after Trump denounced reports of "caravans" of migrants--many fleeing violence--headed toward the U.S. and insisted the military must be deployed to guard the border until a wall is built--a proposal critics called "beyond disturbing."
The National Guard is made up of citizens who generally hold civilian jobs as well and report for duty when needed to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, and are sometimes deployed on military operations overseas.
Brown is just one of many critics who have voiced serious concerns about militarizing border communities by placing the National Guard for an undetermined amount of time--with military officials saying the move would be construed as needlessly aggressive by U.S. allies to the south and others saying the deployment would amount to an immense waste of resources.
\u201cMilitary troops don't belong at the border. Deploying the military in U.S. communities is a dangerous move and contrary to the fundamental norms of a civil society. https://t.co/6Y6BW5ulOJ\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1522877492
\u201cCommunities in the border region have among the lowest crime rates in the country and there is record-low unauthorized migration. President Trump is trying to create a crisis where there is none.\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1522877492
\u201cSending the National Guard to US-Mexico border is completely irresponsible. Not only is it a total waste of resources but it leaves many states vulnerable in the case of natural disaster. Also, Puerto Rico is still part of America. What about them?\u201d— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1522875133
"We've got the Pacific on one side, the Atlantic on the other and allies to the north and the south. Mexico is not an adversary. Why would you present this offensive barrier to a friendly country?" - Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton https://t.co/WlOdkcvcSn
-- Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 5, 2018
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.