WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. official disclosed on Friday that the Pentagon is set to deploy approximately 1,500 additional active duty soldiers to the southern border in order to bolster President Donald Trump’s expanding efforts to address immigration issues. This move is in line with the President’s directive and is part of a larger strategy that will see the total number of active duty troops at the border reach around 3,600.
The deployment order has been given the green light and involves sending a logistics brigade from the 18th Airborne Corps based at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. The official, requesting anonymity as the deployment has not yet been officially announced, revealed that the Pentagon has been working swiftly to implement President Trump’s executive orders signed shortly after he assumed office on January 20th.
The initial wave of 1,600 active duty troops has already been deployed to the border, with an additional 500 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division expected to begin their movement in the coming days. Furthermore, approximately 500 Marines have been directed to head to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some of the detained migrants will be housed, with several hundred already present at the facility.
The troops being deployed to the border are anticipated to assist with the installation of concertina wire barriers and provide crucial transportation, intelligence, and other forms of support to the Border Patrol. The logistics brigade will play a key role in supporting and sustaining the troops on the ground.
Meanwhile, the troops being sent to Guantanamo Bay will be involved in preparing the facility to accommodate an influx of migrants and will be tasked with various support duties.
