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1,500 active duty troops to southern border
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that 1,500 active-duty troops will be deployed to the U.S. southern border in anticipation of a surge in migrant crossings later this month. The move comes as part of a long-standing effort to strengthen border security and prevent illegal immigration.
The troops will not be tasked with law enforcement duties but will instead focus on support functions such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support. The aim is to free up Border Patrol agents to perform their primary duties more effectively.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">'We Are Going to Fall Short': Army Will Miss Its Recruiting Goal This Year <a href="https://t.co/9HIl3lKkHC">https://t.co/9HIl3lKkHC</a></p>— Military.com (@Militarydotcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Militarydotcom/status/1653470164044718080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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According to Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top spokesperson for the Pentagon, the troops will start arriving at the southern border on May 10, with personnel coming from active-duty Army and Marine Corps units. The deployment is expected to last for 90 days, but it could be extended if necessary.
The deployment will augment the 2,500 National Guardsmen who are already deployed to the border as part of a years-long mission. The Pentagon is looking at replacing the active duty troops with reserve component troops or contracted entities at the end of the initial 90-day period.
The move comes as Homeland Security officials and outside advocates have warned of a potential rush of migrants attempting to enter the country, particularly along the southern border, due to changes in pandemic-related border crossing regulations.
While the military has supported border security efforts every year since 2006, the major mission currently underway has been in progress since 2018. That year, former President Donald Trump ordered more than 5,000 troops to the region in response to immigration concerns.
