The Department of Homeland Security is paying undercover informants to gather intelligence from the migrant caravan by monitoring their text-message conversations as they travel toward the U.S. border, NBC News reports.

Politico: “Meanwhile, the caravans of thousands of Central Americans continue moving north through Mexico — unblocked by either Trump’s Nov. 9 asylum proclamation or the deployments of U.S. troops whose main duties have included placing concertina wire and other barriers at ports of entry.”

“A federal judge barred the Trump administration on Monday from refusing asylum to immigrants who cross the southern border illegally,” the AP reports.

“U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar issued a temporary restraining order after hearing arguments in San Francisco. The request was made by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights, which quickly sued after President Trump issued the ban this month in response to the caravans of migrants that have started to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.”

“The Pentagon is set to begin a drawdown of its 5,800 troops from the Southwest border as early as this week, the Army commander overseeing the mission told Politico today — even as the approaching caravan of refugees prompted U.S. customs officers to close a port of entry near Tijuana, Mexico.”

“All the active-duty troops that President Trump ordered sent to the border before the midterm elections should be home by Christmas.”

“A majority of Americans say a caravan of migrants now approaching the nation’s southern border poses at least a minor threat to the country,” according to the Monmouth University Poll.

“At the same time, 7-in-10 say that these migrants should be given the opportunity to enter the country if they meet certain requirements. Half are disinclined to believe that terrorists are traveling with the caravan, although 1-in-4 seem fairly certain that those claims are true.”

Washington Post: “Some Democrats are pushing the idea of a new comprehensive immigration plan akin to bipartisan legislation that foundered five years ago. Others want to focus attention on the narrower goal of granting legal status to undocumented immigrants known as ‘dreamers,’ who have lived in the country illegally since they were children and whose cause is broadly popular with the public.”

“But the boldest, and most controversial, Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s bumper-sticker sloganeering has come from progressive newcomers, most prominently Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who swept to victory behind calls to “abolish ICE” — the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, with 20,000 employees — over perceived abuses.”

“The number of undocumented immigrant children in government custody has topped 14,000 for the first time, a rise that shows no signs of slowing as the Trump administration enforces policies that are keeping them in government facilities longer,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis will travel to Texas on Wednesday to visit troops currently deployed in support of the Southwest border mission, CNBC reports.

“Mattis’ trip comes amid a significant active-duty troop presence along the U.S. border with Mexico to deter a caravan of migrants seeking asylum.”

“The Department of Defense estimates that more than 7,000 troops will be positioned in California, Arizona and Texas in support of the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection. In which case, the border mission, will have a larger U.S. military footprint than the combined efforts in Iraq and Syria.”