Sen. Mark Kelly applauds Biden move to send troops to US-Mexico border

José Ignacio Castañeda Perez, Arizona Republic
·2 min read
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Sen. Mark Kelly is backing President Joe Biden's decision to send 1,500 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border days before pandemic border restrictions are set to expire.

Biden announced the decision Tuesday as his administration prepares for the end of Title 42, the Trump-era border restriction, on May 11. Officials are expecting a sharp increase in daily migrant encounters along the southern border when the restriction lifts.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., right, and other senators visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Somerton, Ariz., near the Cocopah Indian Reservation boundary on Jan. 10, 2023.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., right, and other senators visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Somerton, Ariz., near the Cocopah Indian Reservation boundary on Jan. 10, 2023.

The Army and Marine Corps personnel will be tasked with helping U.S. Border Patrol by performing administrative duties, such as ground detection, data entry and warehouse support. The move is meant to help relieve Border Patrol agents by freeing them up to focus on law enforcement tasks, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“Border Patrol agents have a hard job made even more challenging by this border crisis," Kelly, D-Ariz., said Wednesday in a written statement.

"I’m glad to see the Biden Administration sending this additional manpower that can provide our Border Patrol agents and Arizona communities with critical assistance."

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly speaks on Aug. 10, 2022, to Barbara Cook who lives across the road from the Morelos Dam in Yuma. Cook has lived next to the border wall for nine years and frequently sees migrants, who cross between gaps in the wall, pass by her home. On one occasion, migrants knocked on her door asking for water due to the hot weather.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly speaks on Aug. 10, 2022, to Barbara Cook who lives across the road from the Morelos Dam in Yuma. Cook has lived next to the border wall for nine years and frequently sees migrants, who cross between gaps in the wall, pass by her home. On one occasion, migrants knocked on her door asking for water due to the hot weather.

Kelly added that he's looking forward to being fully briefed on the details of the deployment and will keep working with Border Patrol, the Biden administration and Arizona border community leaders to respond in a humane and orderly way that doesn't burden local communities.

More: Arizona officials cheer Biden for sending troops to Mexico border while advocates blast him

Kelly joins other state and local officials who welcomed Biden's decision Monday. Advocates, however, railed against the deployment due to it further militarizing the border.

The troops will not do law-enforcement work and will be sent down for roughly 90 days, but their presence can be extended if necessary, officials said. Troops will begin to arrive as soon as May 10.

There are 2,500 National Guard forces at the border. It is still unclear how many troops will be sent to each part of the border.

Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sen. Mark Kelly applauds Biden move to send troops to Mexico border