The first bills for two distinct but linked policy journeys of the current administration have just been announced. The first bill for the cost of separating immigrant families is $80 Million. That figure comes from the federal government itself. See Caitlin Dickerson, The Price Tag of Immigrant Family Separations: $80 Million and Rising, N.Y. TIMES, Nov. 21, 2018, at A11 (New York Times may require a subscription to allow access).
A similar figure of $72 Million has been placed on the cost of deploying the Army to the U.S. southern border, "so far," according to a Pentagon spokesperson. That is apparently through December 15, 2018. The Secretary of Defense admits that the costs can go higher beyond that date. That is to be added to the separate expense of $138 Million for the National Guard so far. The Army and National Guard face "minimal risks" because the border patrol itself says in a border intelligence analysis that its own agents -- armed individuals who the Army and National Guard, we are told, have been sent to "protect" -- face minimal risks themselves. See, e.g., Ron Nixon, Helen Cooper, and Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Homeland Security Finds Risk to Border Agents is "Minimal", N.Y. TIMES, Nov. 21, 2018, at A10 (New York Times may require subscription to access); Robert Burns, Mattis Says He Has Extra Authority to Use Military on Border, AP, report by the Associated Press dated November 21, 2018.
The totals so far of just these policy adventures: $290 Million at least through December 15, 2018. Of course, that's only the money that's involved, not any other considerations.
Where is the money coming from?
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