The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it has begun deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to bolster security along the southern border, implementing President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at curbing immigration shortly after taking office.
Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses stated that the troops will assist Border Patrol agents by flying helicopters, providing military airlift for Department of Homeland Security deportation flights involving over 5,000 detained migrants, and helping construct barriers.
“This is just the beginning,” Salesses said in a statement, noting that the number of troops and their mission may evolve over time.
Possible Law Enforcement Role for Troops
While it remains uncertain if the troops will take on law enforcement duties, such a move would represent a significant shift in the role of American forces, which have not performed such tasks in decades. Troops are legally prohibited from engaging in law enforcement under the Posse Comitatus Act. However, Trump has directed the incoming defense secretary and homeland security chief to review whether the 1807 Insurrection Act should be invoked, which would allow troops to be used in civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil. The last invocation of the act occurred in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of police officers in the Rodney King case.
Details of the Deployment
The active-duty troops will join the 2,500 U.S. National Guard and Reserve forces already stationed along the roughly 2,000-mile border. This marks the first deployment of active-duty troops to the border in years.
Personnel began moving to the region earlier Wednesday, according to a military official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. Among the deployed forces are 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton in California, with the remainder being Army personnel.
Similar missions have been carried out in the past, with both Trump and former President Joe Biden deploying active-duty troops to support Border Patrol agents.
Early Steps in Trump’s Border Security Plan
The deployment is part of Trump’s broader initiative to enhance military involvement at the border. In one of his first executive orders, issued Monday, Trump instructed the defense secretary to develop a plan to “seal the borders” and prevent “unlawful mass migration.”
“This is something President Trump campaigned on,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “The American people have been waiting for such a time as this—for our Department of Defense to prioritize homeland security. This is a No. 1 priority for the American people.”
Coast Guard Realignment and Border Initiatives
In a related move, Trump fired Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan on Tuesday. Following the announcement, the Coast Guard revealed plans to deploy more cutter ships, aircraft, and personnel to the “Gulf of America,” a rebranding of the Gulf of Mexico under Trump’s directive.
During his inaugural address Monday, Trump declared, “I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places in which they came.”
Historical Context
Military personnel have been sent to the border intermittently since the 1990s to address migration, drug trafficking, and transnational crime. However, Trump’s aggressive stance represents a significant escalation of these efforts, marking a major shift in the federal government’s approach to border security.
