The White House reportedly approved a memo that will allow troops sent to the southern border to use lethal force and conduct law enforcement operations, Military Times reported Wednesday.
The military has deployed nearly 6,000 troops to help prevent migrants from crossing into the U.S. illegally. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly authorized military personnel to perform "reasonably necessary" actions to protect border agents, including "a show or use of force (including lethal force, where necessary), crowd control, temporary detention, and cursory search."
Kelly reportedly approved the memo because of what he deemed "credible evidence and intelligence" that suggests migrants "may prompt incidents of violence and disorder." A caravan of Central American migrants has been traveling toward the U.S. in recent weeks with the hopes of applying for asylum at the border.
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The move could violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally forbids troops from operating like domestic law enforcement. The Trump administration has offered varying perspectives on how the military will handle its mission at the border. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said last month that "every possible action is on the table" to stop the migrants, and said that there was no intention to shoot at migrants "right now." When asked about suspending or ignoring the Posse Comitatus Act, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to detail how far the military would go in confronting migrants. Read more at Military Times.
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