US Deploys Over 100 Armored Vehicles Used in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars to Mexico Border

8,000 Troops Also Deployed

The administration of US President Donald Trump has deployed hundreds of armored vehicles to the area bordering Mexico.

US Army M1126 Stryker armored vehicle deployed at the border

According to major foreign media outlets such as the BBC on June 4 (local time), more than 100 'Stryker armored vehicles' have been deployed at various points along the approximately 3,100-kilometer US-Mexico border. These 8-wheel drive medium armored vehicles, which were previously used in combat operations such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, are now being assigned to missions involving civilians.

In addition, reconnaissance aircraft and drones are flying around the border for surveillance, and naval vessels are monitoring the coastline at sea. The same media reported that the total number of military personnel deployed at the border is estimated to be around 8,000.

Some critics argue that President Trump has failed to properly distinguish between the roles of the military and the police by deploying the military for law enforcement duties. According to current US law, the military can only be used for law enforcement if there is explicit consent from Congress. Military patrols are only permitted in the vicinity of military facilities.

In order to circumvent these regulations, President Trump declared a broad area near the border adjacent to Chihuahua State in Mexico as a 'national defense zone' during April and May. This effectively designated the entire region as a military base. As a result, the military has been able to legally patrol the area.

Elizabeth Goitein, senior director at the Brennan Center for Justice, told the BBC, "This is an attempt to turn about one-third of the entire border into a military facility," adding, "If someone enters this area and is apprehended, the military can simply cite 'base defense' as the reason."

In fact, the number of illegal immigrants crossing the southern US border has dropped significantly. In April, the number of illegal immigrants apprehended while crossing from Mexico into the US was about 8,000, a 95% decrease compared to the same month last year (128,000). As the number of attempted illegal crossings has declined, questions have also been raised about the necessity and justification for deploying the military.

However, at a recent press conference, Brigadier General Jeremy Winters, who leads the Southern Border Joint Task Force coordinating border control operations among various agencies, stated, "Ninety-five percent is sealed, but ninety-five percent is not one hundred percent. Saying ninety-five percent is good enough is conceptually the same as saying it's okay to break the law. That's not why we're here," expressing the military's strong commitment to border control operations.