The Pentagon will begin deploying up to 1,500 active-duty troops to assist in securing the southern border in the coming days, according to U.S. officials. This decision is part of the implementation of plans outlined by President Donald Trump in the executive orders he signed upon taking office, aimed at combating illegal immigration.
Acting Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses is expected to sign orders for the deployment of soldiers, although it remains unclear when the troops will be deployed and whether the total number of troops could change.
Officials who provided information on this matter spoke on the condition of anonymity, as the announcement of the troop deployment has not yet been made public, according to AP.
The active-duty forces will join nearly 2,500 members of the U.S. National Guard and Reserve Forces currently stationed at the U.S.-Mexico border. There are currently no active-duty troops at the border.
The forces are expected to assist Border Patrol agents with logistics, transportation, and the construction of barriers. They have performed similar tasks in the past when both Trump and former President Joe Biden had sent active-duty troops to the border.
Under U.S. law, troops are prohibited from performing law enforcement duties at the border, but this may change.
Through executive orders, Trump has directed future Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to report within 90 days on whether they believe the 1807 law should be repealed.
If this occurs, troops could be used for civilian law enforcement duties on U.S. soil.
Upon taking office, Trump indicated plans to use the military along the border. In one of his first executive orders on Monday, Trump instructed the Secretary of Defense to present a plan for the border and how to combat “mass illegal immigration.”
