Biden is sending active-duty soldiers to border crisis front lines, drawing fierce criticism from Democrats

The Biden administration is deploying 1,500 active-duty military personnel to assist with a border crisis that top government officials refuse to acknowledge.

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of active-duty troops to the southern border to assist Border Patrol as agents brace for an influx of migration triggered by the end of Title 42. The policy, which fast-tracks migrant deportations, will end on May 11.

The troops will be deployed for 90 days and sourced from various Army and Marine Corps active-duty units. The troops will assist with administrative operations, which includes filling "critical capability gaps such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry and warehouse support until CPB can address these needs through contracted support," Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

But, Gen. Ryder explained, the troops "will not directly participate in law enforcement activities." They will, however, be armed for self-defense.

The deployment comes at the request of the Department of Homeland Security.

What was the reaction?

The decision to deploy troops quickly drew criticism from Biden and Democratic allies.

Andrea Flores, Biden's former director for border management at the National Security Council, said the deployment proves officials are unprepared for the end of Title 42.

"Deploying military personnel suggests a concerning lack of readiness for this transition," Flores tweeted. "@DHSgov had over two years to plan a gradual wind down of Title 42. Instead, the situation has escalated into a greater emergency that will, once again, lead to troops in border communities."

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.), meanwhile, called the deployment "unacceptable."

"The Biden Administration's militarization of the border is unacceptable," he said in a statement. "There is already a humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere, and deploying military personnel only signals that migrants are a threat that require our nations troops to contain. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Menendez added that his attempts to work with the Biden administration have been "largely ignored" and accused the administration of "trying to score political points" and "intimidate migrants."

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