Marines install barbed wire along the border fence Friday, Jan. They worked with speed and efficiency amid a weekend rush of cars nearby at the busiest border crossing between the U. Fortifying barriers has long been a military task on border missions that date back to the administration of George W.
Until now, the military has limited itself to a supporting role at the border β surveilling for illegal crossings by ground and air, repairing vehicles, building barriers β adhering to the Posse Comitatus Act of to keep the armed forces away from civilian law enforcement.
The Associated Press toured the border in San Diego with Marines and saw a military operating similar to past missions. But some scholars and advisers close to Trump argue there are legal grounds to summon the military to combat narcotics and mass migration. His inaugural day orders raise the possibility of invoking wartime powers, including the Insurrection Act of , allowing him to deploy active-duty troops to suppress a rebellion. The regular military can do anything on U. Trump has already broken from predecessors.
While the military has housed migrants at times, its deportation flights to Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia mark a departure from previous administrations.
There is a sense among Border Patrol agents and others that there is more to come. Isacson said he believes the administration may see a model in Texas Gov. So far, the military has maintained low visibility in San Diego.
