Trump Lauds Mexico for `Caravan' Breakup After Authorizing Guard

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump credited Mexican authorities with disbanding a caravan of mostly Central American migrants that had been moving toward the U.S. border, a day after he authorized the National Guard to protect the crossing.

"The Caravan is largely broken up thanks to the strong immigration laws of Mexico and their willingness to use them so as not to cause a giant scene at our Border," Trump said in a Twitter posting on Thursday. "Because of the Trump Administrations actions, Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low. Stop drugs!"

CNN reported organizers of the 1,100-person march planned to break into smaller groups. The network reported some members plan to seek refugee status in Mexico, while as many as 200 will move on to the U.S.

In a memorandum Wednesday authorizing National Guard troops to be sent to the border, Trump said the situation there has reached a "point of crisis" and he had no choice but to act to end what he termed lawlessness.

The president said that the nation’s security was under threat from “drastic illegal activity,” including drug smuggling. He also cited the threat of gangs, including MS-13. “The anticipated rapid rise in illegal crossings as we head into the spring and summer months threatens to overwhelm our Nation’s law enforcement capacities,” Trump wrote.

The memorandum did not say how many National Guard troops would be sent to the border or for how long. Trump said he was directing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, in coordination with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, to come up with an "action plan” within 30 days.

Trump had earlier threatened Mexican leaders he would abandon the North American Free Trade Agreement without assurances of help on securing the boundary.

--With assistance from Jennifer Epstein

To contact the reporter on this story: Terrence Dopp in Washington at tdopp@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Gordon at cgordon39@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Kathleen Hunter

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