Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) recently joined 17 colleagues in expressing concerns over the expanding mission of active duty service members deployed to the southern border.
The group of legislators forwarded correspondence to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan regarding the matter, demanding a legal justification for increased military activities at the border, including a loosening of restrictions on contact between servicemembers and migrants.
“We urge you to revoke these waivers to prevent the continued escalation of military involvement in immigration enforcement activities and the further politicization of the use of service members to inappropriately respond to a divisive domestic policy issue,” the senators wrote.
The lawmakers also asked for additional information regarding the training and guidance service members have received regarding rules for the use of force, as well as legal restrictions including Posse Comitatus and other Department of Defense policies.
“Ensuring that servicemembers are prepared to operate in a law enforcement context – rather than a combat zone – is critically important, and we seek evidence to demonstrate that troops deployed to the border are appropriately trained for these circumstances,” the senators concluded.
The senators said they have consistently expressed concern regarding the troop deployment, including the timing of the initial active duty deployments, the potentially negative impact on military readiness, the cancellation of joint military exercises with allies due to budgetary constraints and the absence of a timeline or detailed cost estimate.