Trump Deploys 1,500 Troops to US Southern Border for Large-Scale Crackdown

WP: "Preparing to Deploy 10,000 Troops"
Coast Guard Also Set to Join Border Operations

US President Donald Trump, immediately after taking office, has announced a large-scale crackdown on the border and immigration, and will deploy 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border.

On January 22 (local time), Acting Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses issued a statement saying that 1,500 ground personnel, along with helicopters and intelligence analysts, would be sent to the southwestern border to strengthen detection and surveillance operations.

The US-Mexico border in San Diego, California, USA. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

This measure will increase the number of Army troops in the southwestern border region by 60%. According to the Associated Press, there are currently 2,500 National Guard and reservists stationed at the southwestern border. At present, there are no active-duty troops serving at the border.

Additionally, the Department of Defense announced plans to provide military transport aircraft to help immigration authorities deport more than 5,000 undocumented immigrants detained in San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas. The department is also considering supporting the construction of physical barriers at the border to prevent illegal entry and human trafficking. Acting Secretary Salesses stated, "This is only the beginning," adding, "We will work with the Department of Homeland Security, federal agencies, and state governments to develop and implement additional missions to address the full range of threats described by President Trump."

The Associated Press, citing US military officials, reported that the troops being deployed this time consist of 500 Marines and Army personnel, and that they began moving to the border on the morning of the 22nd.

The scale of active-duty troop deployments is expected to increase further. According to briefing documents from US Customs and Border Protection obtained by the Washington Post, President Trump is preparing to send approximately 10,000 troops to the southern border.

It was also reported that the Coast Guard has been instructed to reinforce border regions such as the Gulf of America with fast boats, aircraft, and other vessels to block illegal entry and smuggling. President Trump has stated his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the active-duty troops being deployed will participate in law enforcement. If this happens, it would mark a significant change in the military's role for the first time in decades. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, active-duty troops are prohibited from participating in law enforcement activities within the United States. However, President Trump has ordered the incoming Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Homeland Security to report on whether the Insurrection Act should be invoked. If applied, this law would allow the deployment of military forces for civilian law enforcement within the United States.

At his inauguration on January 20, President Trump declared, "I will declare a national emergency at the southern border," adding, "All illegal entry will be stopped immediately, and we will begin the process of returning millions of criminal aliens to where they came from."

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated, "This is what President Trump promised during his campaign," adding, "The American people have been waiting for the Department of Defense to take homeland security seriously. This is the top priority for Americans."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.