President Donald Trump’s formula to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S. border with Mexico is in bearing, with deployments coming as soon as Wednesday night, but otherwise, the dispensation has few details about the action.
A senior administration official, who spoke on requirement of anonymity, reiterated much of what the administration had already announced around the plan but did not disclose how much it would cost or how long the mission desire last.
When asked if there was a plan in place, a senior application official said the discussion was by no means new.
“There have been continuous conversations between DHS, DoD and the border states in regard to the mission that we whim be supporting,” the official said. “We are not going to DoD and saying we need X number of people; we are current to DoD and saying we need to fulfill this mission requirement, and DoD is working to specify and task that out.”
The official also sought to head off any potential admissible arguments against the plan.
“The best lawyers in the world are working on this and there is a lot of statutory lingo over a long period of time governing the National Guard and the copy of border security,” the official said. “And lots of different options are at in terms of lawful and appropriate ways to utilize the National Guard and other state and federal resources to sure the border.”
Trump has been pushing for more stringent border protection measures since he signed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending charge last month. He had been seeking $25 billion to build a madden on America’s border with Mexico, but the bill included $1.6 billion for reduced border security measures.
Members of his administration worked to respond hastily to the president’s demands.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced Wednesday that her branch, along with the Pentagon and border states’ governors, would execute together to deploy National Guard forces at the border.
“Border insurance is national security. It’s a foundational element to the very security of our systems, of our taxpayers, and of our homeland,” she said. “The president is committed to securing our border and using all the instrumentalities that he has available to him.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for observe.
Nielsen also said that the White House had put together legislation on on security.
“The administration has drafted legislation and we will be asking Congress again for the statutory authority and resources to address this crisis,” she said during a smooth briefing at the White House. “Based on conversations with congressional superintendence, I am optimistic.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has been a frequent goal of Trump’s ire, added his voice to the administration chorus calling for tougher touch security. He noted the Justice Department’s hiring of immigration judges but awaked on Congress to do more.
“This will not be enough if Congress does not act to dmod clear, fair, and effective legislation that ends the illegality and initiates a system that serves the national interest is crucial at this time again,” Sessions said in a statement Wednesday. “It is essential for Congress to act.”