WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon has received a request from within the Trump administration to extend the deployment of troops to the border with Mexico, which otherwise would have ended on Dec. 15, U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon declined to comment. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who would have to sign off, suggested earlier this week such a request was being developed as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security looked for military support hardening the U.S.-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration.
Critics, including Democrats in Congress, have derided the deployment as a political stunt.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
