The Pentagon on Monday once again denied a request from the District of Columbia seeking National Guard assistance in dealing with thousands of migrants being bused to the city from Texas and Arizona.
According to a copy of a letter to the city reviewed by The Associated Press, the Defense Department said use of the D.C. National Guard would be inappropriate and would hurt the overall readiness of the troops, forcing some to cancel or disrupt military training.
The letter said the department also is concerned about putting uniformed military members in direct contact with migrants to provide food, sanitation or other support, saying the troops have no real experience or training for that mission.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejected a similar D.C. request earlier this month, and Mayor Muriel Bowser had said she would send an amended, “more specific” proposal. Bowser had initially asked for an open-ended deployment of 150 National Guard members per day as well as a “suitable federal location” for a mass housing and processing center, mentioning the D.C. Armory as a logical candidate. The revised request asked that the help be provided for just 90 days.
The Pentagon also denied the use of the armory, saying it is not air conditioned and would have to undergo costly changes and repairs to make it suitable for overnight stays.
When the Defense Department rejected the first request, officials said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s food and shelter program has provided funding for the problem, and has indicated those funds are sufficient at this point. The latest letter said the city should continue to work with non-government groups to address the issue.
During the spring, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, announced plans to send busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C., in response to President Joe Biden’s decision to lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that restricted migrant entry numbers by denying them a chance to seek asylum. The rule remains in effect under court order.
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Associated Press writers Bob Christie in Phoenix, Az., and Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
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According to a copy of a letter to the city reviewed by The Associated Press, the Defense Department said use of the D.C. National Guard would be inappropriate and would hurt the overall readiness of the troops, forcing some to cancel or disrupt military training.
The letter said the department also is concerned about putting uniformed military members in direct contact with migrants to provide food, sanitation or other support, saying the troops have no real experience or training for that mission.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejected a similar D.C. request earlier this month, and Mayor Muriel Bowser had said she would send an amended, “more specific” proposal. Bowser had initially asked for an open-ended deployment of 150 National Guard members per day as well as a “suitable federal location” for a mass housing and processing center, mentioning the D.C. Armory as a logical candidate. The revised request asked that the help be provided for just 90 days.
The Pentagon also denied the use of the armory, saying it is not air conditioned and would have to undergo costly changes and repairs to make it suitable for overnight stays.
When the Defense Department rejected the first request, officials said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s food and shelter program has provided funding for the problem, and has indicated those funds are sufficient at this point. The latest letter said the city should continue to work with non-government groups to address the issue.
During the spring, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, announced plans to send busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C., in response to President Joe Biden’s decision to lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that restricted migrant entry numbers by denying them a chance to seek asylum. The rule remains in effect under court order.
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Associated Press writers Bob Christie in Phoenix, Az., and Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
Continue reading...
