GOP Rep. Rooney Not 'Comfortable' Sending Troops to Border

Republican Congressman Francis Rooney on Tuesday said he's not "comfortable" with President Donald Trump's idea of sending U.S. troops to the southern border.

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, the Florida Republican and Foreign Affairs Committee member said there's no cause for military participation to protect a border that is already under the purview of the federal agencies.

"I don't really feel comfortable with deploying military troops and creating the possibility of an increase in violence and an escalation of the conflict," Rooney said on CNN. "These people should be stopped at the border and vetted out, just the normal process. We should have plenty of agents down there to do that."

Rooney said he doesn't think Trump would need congressional approval to do it, if he wanted, but said that's not the issue.

"The bigger question is, is it a good idea to escalate the tensions unnecessarily?" Rooney said. "I would rather have the dealings with immigration be handled in a civil context and not a military one."

• Mexican Government Moves to Break Up Migrant Caravan
• Trump Warns: Caravan 'Had Better Be Stopped' Before Reaching US