Rep. Grijalva Leads Members of Congress in Letter to President Biden, Demands End to Trump Troop Deployment at the Southern Border
Press Release
Today, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva led 22 Members of Congress in a letter to President Joe Biden demanding an end to the troop deployment at the Southern Border authorized by former President Donald Trump. Despite the end of the Trump Administration and the national emergency, more than 3,600 soldiers remain deployed at the Southern Border at a large cost to taxpayers. A GAO report released in February found that "DHS anticipates needing at least the current amount of [Defense Department] support for the next three to five years, possibly more." Furthermore, the GAO report highlights that DOD did not fully evaluate potential costs and effects on readiness before deploying troops, nor did they provide full cost estimates to Congress.
"Trump may be gone, but his harmful policies continue irreparably damaging our border communities and environment," said Rep. Grijalva. "For many years, border residents have vocally opposed the militarization of their communities. President Biden has an opportunity to finally heed those calls by removing all military personnel and equipment from the border immediately. Failure to do so will further politicize the military and erode the long-lasting norms that prevent them from enforcing domestic law. We owe it to border communities to end this wasteful deployment and instead invest in the long-term well-being of the borderlands region.
The letter was signed by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At-Large), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (Guam-At-Large), and Judy Chu (CA-32).
Source