To support the efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in managing the flow of illegal immigrants, the Department of Defense (DOD) is deploying 1,140 more U.S. troops to the southern border of the United States.
According to U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the DOD is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security to address crucial capabilities shortfalls at the southern border as outlined in President Trump’s Executive Order titled ‘Protecting the American People Against Invasion’.
With 4,300 U.S. active-duty troops currently stationed at the southern border, the additional deployment of 1,140 troops will increase the total number of active-duty service members to 5,440.
USNORTHCOM said the additional troops will provide support to joint task force operations, including command and control of sustainable units and coordination of logistical support, field feeding support sites and control of logistical movement.
The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the time of the announcement this month there was a “sufficient factual basis” under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to issue the designations against the gangs and cartels.
The Trump administration also began sending flights of illegal immigrants to the Guantánamo Bay detention site in Cuba earlier this month.
Around 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens” could be held at the base that once housed hundreds of prisoners, only 15 of whom were left before Trump began sending migrants there.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
