Joint Chiefs Chairman: ‘35,000 People a Week’ Crossing the SW Border. ‘That’s an Army.’

Male — young, fit, military age.

Joint Chiefs Chairman: ‘You’re Talking 35,000 People a Week’ Crossing the SW Border; ‘That’s an Army Corps’

By: CNS News, April 2, 2023:

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week refused again to call the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border a “crisis,” but Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had no such reluctance when he testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday:

“So, there is a crisis at that border,” Milley said.

He was responding to a question about whether President Joe Biden has ever asked Milley for a briefing about national security threats at the southern border:

“I have been in several meetings and briefings, principals’ committees, and other forums specifically about the southern border…A couple of them were with the vice president and some discussions with the president,” Milley said.

“Now, if I could, look, at the southern border situation is a very serious situation, and you know it as well as I do.

“And that there’s some — I think it’s in the range — the reports I get is about 5,000 a day. You’re talking about 35,000 people a week. That’s an Army Corps that comes across that border.

“And then, with the fentanyl issue that you’re talking about, look, I don’t know what the exact numbers are. But, the ranges that have been reported to me is something between 70 and 100,000. That’s an enormous amount of casualties and people dying, young kids dying in our communities.

“So, there is a crisis at that border. Now, the question is what do you do about it? And we have to work much closer, I think anyway with Mexico. There’s certain things that have to be done along the border with the CPB and others. Now, that’s out of our lane. That’s DHS, et cetera.”

Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said he was told by General Glen VanHerck, head of the U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, that President Biden could ask the military to do more about border security, but Milley said he’d have to check with VanHerck about that:

“I personally think the primary, the lead, should be on the border itself, clearly law enforcement as opposed to the military,” Milley said.

“Now, mechanically could you line up divisions of troops? Of course you could. But, is that the right thing to do? Is that the right way to do it? And I would certainly advise against that.

We’ll execute whatever decisions are made. But, lining up –”

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