BORDER/DHS/IMMIGRATION/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Some of the active-duty troops who President Donald Trump ordered to help secure the southern border have begun departing and thousands of them could be home by the end of the month, according to a US defense official. The official said the exact number of troops to stay on the border after the drawdown has not been finalized, but about 2,500 to 4,000 will remain on deployment. That means as many as 2,700 could soon return home. The border deployment was initially expected to last until December 15 but was recently extended to January 31 following a request from the Department of Homeland Security. CNN previously reported that the number of troops assigned to the mission would likely drop down to 4,000 as engineers involved in enhancing infrastructure at points of entry completed their tasks. A separate Defense official says most of the troops to be drawn down will come from Texas. A Department of Homeland Security official confirmed that some troops will be pulling back, saying it was because of the ‘requirements of the mission.'”
–Ryan Browne, “As Trump weighs having military build border wall, some troops begin coming home from border,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, December 11, 2018 6:58 pm