President Trump said Saturday that the National Guard is “sealing up” the border between the U.S. and Mexico after 500 troops were deployed to the area late Friday night.
“We are sealing up our Southern Border,” Trump tweeted Saturday afternoon. “The people of our great country want Safety and Security. The Dems have been a disaster on this very important issue!”
We are sealing up our Southern Border. The people of our great country want Safety and Security. The Dems have been a disaster on this very important issue!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2018
The tweet comes a night after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced that the troops have been deployed to the southwest border.
“Tonight, National Guard troops are deploying to support border security missions along the U.S. southwest border,” the two secretaries said in a joint statement
“Working closely with the border governors, the Department of Homeland Security identified security vulnerabilities that could be addressed by the National Guard. We appreciate the governors’ support and are dedicated to working with them to secure the national borders,” they added.
National Guard Chief Gen. Joseph Lengyel said the troops are en route to the border along with vehicles, helicopters, and equipment.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey both announced early Friday plans to send guard troops to the border within the next week.
Trump told reporters on Thursday that he hopes to have between 2,000-4,000 National Guard troops on the border when all is said and done.
