President Trump Considers Ordering Military to Close Southern Border

Washington, D.C.—In response to President Trump’s statements that he is considering ordering the military to close the southern border, Human Rights First’s Eleanor Acer issued the following statement:

It is shameful that President Trump is threatening to deploy the U.S. military to further his pre-election, anti-refugee agenda. The only crisis at the southern border is a political one of his own making. The United States is perfectly capable of making individualized assessments about whether people arriving here are refugees; there is no need for extreme action like closing the border.

The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the military from conducting civilian law enforcement activities beyond military bases in the United States. The president’s idea is unwise, unnecessary, and illegal.

Furthermore, the president’s suggestion that he will cut aid that is critical to addressing the rights abuses causing people to flee is both short sighted and counterproductive. It will only lead more people to flee their countries of origin.

For more information or to speak with Acer contact Corinne Duffy at [email protected].

Published on October 18, 2018

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