Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Saturday after visiting the U.S.-Mexico border that the government needs a broader, more effective approach to border control. He suggested the Pentagon might contribute with its expertise in surveillance and monitoring.
“How do we get out of treating the symptoms and get at the root of the issue?” Shanahan said in an interview while flying back to Washington.
Considering how the military could reinforce efforts to block drug smuggling and other illegal activity comes as the Pentagon weighs diverting billions of dollars for President Donald Trump’s border wall.
Shanahan said he was not volunteering the Pentagon to take over any part of border control, which is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. But he said his visit led him to question whether there should be a “wholesale redesign” of the way border control is done by the federal government.
Shanahan said the Pentagon is willing to continue supporting the DHS but wants to see a longer-term solution.
“I don’t want to just add resources and not fix the problem,” he said.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Let the Pentagon take over border security and it will only get worse
ReplyDeleteLook around the world at who guards a country's border.
DeleteTHEIR MILITARY.
Northwest Woodsman: our inefficient government and the self serving politicians that control it waste military funds and personnel on other country borders so it is about time they recognize that we are the ones needing protection, not Iraq or Afghanistan. Reducing our NATO footprint would be a good start. If we must assist European governments, it should be the ones like Hungry who support nationalism and keeping the invasion from the Muslim world at bay.
ReplyDelete