WASHINGTON— Today, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General announced an investigation into the legality of President Trump’s decision to deploy troops to the Southern Border. This comes after Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva led 33 members of Congress in September 2019, urging the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General to open an investigation.

“The military should have no role in enforcing domestic law, and Trump’s troop deployment to the Southern border risks eroding the laws and norms that have kept the military and domestic law enforcement separate,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva.  “Congress and the American people deserve to know why the Trump Administration is politicizing our military and whether the Trump Administration is forcing them to violate federal law under his orders. I welcome this investigation and firmly believe that our servicemembers and border communities should not be pawns in Trump’s political games.”

In November 2019, Rep. Grijalva and other Members of Congress joined Win Without War, the Southern Border Communities Coalition, United We Dream, and other organizations who endorsed the investigation in a press conference on Capitol Hill.

“Donald Trump used the U.S. military as a political pawn, terrorizing migrants and asylum-seekers in order to whip up xenophobic support from his base. This is not just cruel — it’s a dangerous abuse of power. The fact that the DoD IG is opening an investigation into the misuse of U.S. troops at the border is a testament to what happens when hundreds of thousands of people join forces with members of Congress to demand accountability, justice, and oversight. We are one step closer to reigning in the power of the imperial presidency, holding Trump accountable, and ending the militarization of the U.S. southern border,” said Erica Fein, Advocacy Director, Win Without War.

“Our safe, peaceful and thriving binational communities should not be used for military political stunts that undermine human rights and ignore the plight of desperate families who are asking for our help in their time of need. We welcome this investigation into Trump’s misguided and dangerous troop deployment, and urge elected officials to develop policies that respect human rights, expand public safety and create well-functioning gateways to the rest of the world,” said Vicki B. Gaubeca, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition.

“Today’s news about the investigation into Trump’s decision to send military troops to the border is very welcomed. Our immigrant community, who has faced mounting attacks by this administration, knows that Trump sent military troops to the border to target a group of refugees and children who are escaping horrific violence and debilitating poverty. In the last three years, he has used the military as his political hit men at the border and he has also used DHS’s funds to ramp up detentions and deportation in the interior of our country. This investigation will be another way to show the American people how their tax dollars are being used in a nationalist ploy by Trump and advisers like Stephen Miller,” said Sanaa Abrar, Advocacy Director at United We Dream.

The original letter calling for the investigation was endorsed by AboutFace: Veterans Against the War, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), Center for Victims of Torture, Church World Service, Clean Elections Texas, Coalición de Derechos Humanos, Common Defense, CREDO, Defending Rights & Dissent, Demand Progress Education Fund, Earthjustice, End Streamline Coalition (Tucson, AZ), Government Information Watch, Human Rights First, Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office, MomsRising, MoveOn, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, National Organization for Women, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, New American Leaders, Peace Action, Public Citizen, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN), Sierra Club, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC), United We Dream, VoteVets, Voto Latino, Win Without War.

###

Stay in touch with Rep. Grijalva:

Newsletter – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Website