EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — Vice President JD Vance is set to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday to showcase the stricter immigration policies implemented by the Trump administration, resulting in a significant decrease in illegal border crossings during the early stages of Donald Trump’s presidency. Joining Vance in Eagle Pass, Texas, are Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, marking the highest-ranking members of Trump’s Republican White House to tour the southern border. Airspace has been cleared for Air Force Two to make the journey, with Vance’s schedule including a visit to Shelby Park, a public park along the Rio Grande that was taken over by Republican Governor Greg Abbott from federal authorities last year amid disagreements with the Biden administration over insufficient measures to combat illegal crossings.
Immigration crackdown was a central theme of Trump’s reelection campaign, promising to halt the influx of migrants and the flow of illicit substances like fentanyl across the border. As part of this effort, he imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, citing their inadequate actions against drug trafficking and illegal immigration. While talks to reduce the tariffs are reportedly underway, there is a possibility of an announcement as early as Wednesday.
In his address to Congress on Tuesday evening, Trump emphasized the removal of undocumented immigrants from the country, stating, “They are now strongly embedded in our country. But we are getting them out and getting them out fast.” Although Trump himself has not visited the border since taking office, the presence of three high-ranking officials underscores the administration’s intense focus on the issue. Various federal agencies have been tasked with reshaping border and immigration policies, expanding beyond the Department of Homeland Security, which traditionally handles such matters.
Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico witnessed a 39% drop in January compared to the previous month, despite a steady decline since well before Trump assumed office on January 20, following the record high of 250,000 in December 2023. Mexico has bolstered enforcement within its borders, while President Joe Biden, a Democrat, imposed stringent asylum restrictions last summer.
The Trump administration has showcased its new measures, including deporting immigrants on military aircraft and detaining some at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. It has also ramped up arrests of undocumented individuals in the U.S. and terminated programs granting temporary stay permissions. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, indicated that those with criminal backgrounds are being prioritized for deportation, but stressed that even non-criminal undocumented migrants are not exempt.
Since the start of Trump’s second term, approximately 6,500 new active-duty troops have been deployed to the southern border, supplementing the existing 2,500 troops stationed there.
Predominantly National Guard troops on active duty orders, and a few hundred active duty aviation forces, are set to be mobilized, with many still in the preparation phase. Recently, Hegseth authorized orders for a significant portion of an Army Stryker brigade and a general support aviation battalion to be dispatched to the border. This deployment, totaling around 3,000 troops, is expected to take place in the upcoming weeks. Their primary responsibility will involve detecting and monitoring activities along the border, without direct interaction with migrants attempting to cross illegally. Instead, they will notify border agents, who will then take the migrants into custody.
President Biden assigned Vice President Kamala Harris the task of addressing the root causes of immigration throughout his administration, focusing on the reasons why numerous migrants, particularly from Central America, are leaving their homes and seeking asylum or attempting to enter the U.S. illegally. In June 2021, Harris made her initial visit to the border, a few months into Biden’s term, which contrasts with Vance’s visit during the early stages of Trump’s second term. Trump humorously pointed out that Harris was overseeing immigration policy without personally visiting the border or maintaining close communication with federal officials.
Vance’s visit coincides with discussions within the Trump administration regarding the potential utilization of the Alien Enemy Act of 1798 to detain and deport Venezuelans. This consideration is based on a proclamation identifying the gang Tren de Aragua as a potential invasion force possibly operating under the direction of the Venezuelan government. These deliberations were disclosed by a U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity. Uncertainty surrounds the finalization of these decisions, with some officials questioning whether the gang is acting on behalf of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the U.S. has not recognized as the legitimate leader of the country. There are concerns that invoking this law may necessitate formal recognition of Maduro.
Nevertheless, the 1798 law enables the president to deport individuals from a country with which the U.S. is at war, a tool that Trump has considered employing to expedite mass deportations. Weissert reported from Washington, with contributions to this report from Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Lolita Baldor in Washington.
