In response to the mass exodus from Central America, the US wants to massively expand its military presence on the border with Mexico. The total number of soldiers stationed there will rise to „10,000 to 15,000,“ US President Donald Trump said yesterday in Washington.
So far, about 5,000 soldiers have been transferred there. „This is a dangerous group of people,“ Trump said about the migrants from Central America. „They will not come to our country.“
If the United States actually sends 15,000 troops to the Mexican border, that would be equivalent to the current strength of the US mission in Afghanistan.
Thousands of people on their way to the USA
In addition, around 2,100 members of the National Guard are already deployed at the border. According to military information, the soldiers should first secure the border crossings and their immediate surroundings. However, they are not entitled to take over direct border protection tasks.
Currently, thousands of migrants, mostly from Honduras, are on their way to the US. A caravan originally made up of around 7,000 migrants, which has now shrunk to around 4,000 participants, is currently located in the south of Mexico in the state of Oaxaca. A second group of about 2,000 people had passed on Monday from Guatemala the border with Mexico.
