Trump ordering military to occupy US-Mexico border through Christmas

The President extends a lump of coal to our troops along the border, in a gesture of Trumpian holiday slime. A Merry Christmas to all, and to the immigrant children locked in ICE dog cages, enjoy your gruel.

At least 5,000 migrants, most of whom are part of a caravan that walked north from Central America through Mexico in recent weeks, are now waiting in Tijuana just across from San Diego to ask for asylum in the United States.

My source Jeff Valenzuela who was on the scene during the mayhem at the border with the caravan sent me this photo from when tear gas canisters went off @KPBSnews pic.twitter.com/gBjYbem7S9

- Jean Guerrero (@jeanguerre) November 26, 2018

This is how you ask for asylum, under U.S. immigration laws. A small number of border-rushers, including children, were tear gassed over the Thanksgiving holiday by Trump troops who were presumably just following orders, boss.

Missy Ryan, Josh Dawsey, and Nick Miroff at the Washington Post:

The Trump administration is expected to extend the military mission along the U.S. border with Mexico, a White House official said Wednesday, likely keeping troops away from their normal posts through the holidays.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not yet been announced, said the assignment was expected to last at least 45 days beyond its scheduled end date of Dec. 15.

That decision would affect almost 6,000 active duty military personnel now stationed in southern areas of Texas, Arizona and California, lengthening a mission critics have described as an unnecessary ploy to galvanize anti-immigrant sentiment.

News of a possible extension, which was first reported by NPR, comes days after a dramatic confrontation at a border crossing outside San Diego.

Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials this week defended authorities' use of tear gas against migrants, including women and children, who tried to rush the border fence at California's San Ysidro crossing on Sunday.