Pentagon to Send 2,100 More Troops to Border
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that an additional 2,100 troops will be deployed to the southern border as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S.
Acting Secretary of Defense Richard Spencer approved the deployment of 1,000 Texas National Guard and 1,100 active-duty troops to the border in the coming weeks, adding to the 4,500 soldiers already stationed there. The troops will assist federal border authorities with aerial surveillance and logistical, operational, and administrative support.
Of the new National Guard troops, 250 will be stationed at ports of entry and airports in Texas as backup for civilian law-enforcement authorities. The remaining 750 will be stationed at two temporary migrant-detention facilities in Donna and Tornillo, Texas to assist Customs and Border Protection officials.
President Trump has made illegal immigration the signature issue of his presidency, insisting that troops are necessary in the absence of a wall along the southern border to stop migrants from crossing into the country illegally.
