House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) slammed Trump Thursday over his decision to deploy the National Guard along the southwest border.
“His needless militarization of the border is motivated purely by political calculation, not our national security,” Pelosi claimed.
“Instead of squandering resources with this pointless policy, the President should get to work with the Congress to reach a permanent solution for our courageous Dreamers,” Pelosi added. “Every day, these patriotic, determined young people live under a cloud of fear and uncertainty. A bipartisan DREAM Act could pass immediately, if brought to the Floor for a vote.”
She concluded that Democrats stand for better solutions for protecting the border, but did not address the fact that President Obama also deployed the National Guard to the border from July 2010 to June 2011 in an operation that cost $110 million for the first year.
“Democrats stand for smart, strong border security that honors our oath to support and defend the Constitution and protect the American people,” Pelosi said. “We know that the American people deserve real leadership, not a President willing to abuse his role as Commander-in-Chief with an expensive political stunt.”
In a memo Wednesday, President Trump said the defense secretary "shall request use of National Guard personnel" to secure the border and that troops will be trained and directed for that mission, emphasizing that "the security of the United States is imperiled by a drastic surge of illegal activity on the southern border."
"During the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the National Guard provided support for efforts to secure our southern border," according to the memo. "The crisis at our southern border once again calls for the National Guard to help secure our border and protect our homeland."
The governors of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona welcomed Trump’s directive to deploy the National Guard to the border. The details of the order such as the number of troops and the duration of their deployment are still being finalized.