48 hours before his presidential inauguration, Donald Trump ordered the deployment of the first 1,500 soldiers to the border with Mexico, backed by his declaration of national emergency and a new proclamation to "repel" the "invasion" of migrants. According to authorities, there have been 766 arrests at the border and 308 deportations.
Trump justified his decision during an interview with conservative Fox News host Sean Hannity, mentioning the presence of terrorists and murderers in the country who are at large. Additionally, he instructed the Department of Justice to take legal action against state and local public officials who refuse to collaborate with federal immigration authorities.
The new troops will join the approximately 2,200 active forces at the border, as part of the Joint Task Force North of the United States Northern Command in Texas. This represents a 60% increase in ground forces since Trump took office, noted acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesse.
Furthermore, military air transport will be provided to support the deportation flights of more than 5,000 detained immigrants in California and Texas. At the same time, Trump signed a proclamation instructing federal agencies to take all necessary actions to stop and return migrants to their home countries.
There are also 4,500 National Guard members at the border as part of Operation Lone Star activated by Governor Greg Abbott.
The mission of federal assets at the border will be to support the work of Border Patrol agents through logistical tasks, data collection, threat detection, aerial and nighttime monitoring, as well as transport operations for migrants. According to the Department of Defense, forces at the border will be increased by 1,500 additional ground troops, helicopters, and intelligence analysts to assist in detection and monitoring efforts.
