On Wednesday, Donald Trump held a press conference to discuss the executive order he signed regarding national security and the Mexican border. Trump, who has been a strong advocate for building up the security on America’s southern border, announced that among other implementations, the order would add another 5,000 Border Patrol agents to work under General John Kelly at the Department of Homeland Security.
The order is a 17-section directive that includes actions to increase U.S. national security including building a wall and relocating criminal illegal immigrants back to their home nations. Section eight of the executive order specifically pertains to the hiring of 5,000 Border Patrol agents to help enforce the laws.
“Additional Border Patrol Agents. Subject to available appropriations, the Secretary, through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall take all appropriate action to hire 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents, and all appropriate action to ensure that such agents enter on duty and are assigned to duty stations as soon as is practicable,” section eight of the order reads.
“Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders,” Trump told employees of the Department of Homeland Security at the press conference.
In addition to the 5,000 Border Patrol agents, President Trump announced that he would be tripling the amount of ICE officers in the country, adding approximately 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
“We are going to stabilize on both sides of the border and we also understand that a strong and healthy economy in Mexico is very good for the United States,” Trump said during an interview with ABC News on Wednesday.
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