Mexico deployed almost 15,000 troops to its northern border to prevent illegal aliens and caravans from crossing into the United States, reaffirming their commitment to help the U.S. with its immigration problem.
"In the northern part of the country, we have deployed a total of almost 15,000 troops composed of National Guard elements and military units," Mexico's Secretary of Defense Luis Sandoval revealed on Monday, the Agence France-Presse reported. The troops are made up of the National Guard and Army.
Mexico had previously deployed 6,000 troops to its southern border with Guatemala, where they're detaining illegal aliens who plan to make their way to the United States.
“We simply detain them and turn them over to the authorities,” Sandoval said during a press conference. "Given that (undocumented) migration is not a crime but rather an administrative violation, we simply detain them and turn them over to the authorities" at the National Migration Institute.
The decision to deploy troops to Mexico's northern border is a different approach than the country has normally taken. But it comes after President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico until the Mexico government helps prevent illegal aliens from coming to the United States' southern border.
Mexico has 45 days to prove they've ramped up border security otherwise sanctions will be imposed. This time frame was part of an agreement between Mexico and the United States, The Hill reported.
Specifically, the Trump administration said they wanted to see three things from Mexico:
1. Operational security along Mexico's southern border with Guatemala.
2. Target criminal organizations, like drug traffickers and human smugglers, who are playing a role in the flood of illegal aliens.
3. A partnership between the United States and Mexico when it comes to asylum. The goal should be to protect people in the first safe country they arrive in, not necessarily the United States.