ACLU Statement on President Trump Order Sending National Guard to Mexico Border

EL PASO, Texas — President Trump announced that he will sign a proclamation today ordering National Guard troops to the southern border to assist with immigration enforcement.

Astrid Dominguez, director of the ACLU Border Rights Center, had the following reaction:

“President Trump is trying to create a crisis where there is none. This is another impulsive reaction to not getting his way on his border wall, and a maneuver to distract the American public from the crisis he created when he ended DACA for 800,000 young immigrants, whose lives and futures are at risk.

“Military troops don’t belong at the border. Deploying the military in U.S. communities is a dangerous move, contrary to the fundamental norms of a civil society. Communities in the border region have among the lowest crime rates in the country and there is record-low unauthorized migration.

“This is an opportunity for governors and Congress to focus on the real issues and reject Trump’s gimmicks.”