The United States military has begun deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border with Mexico, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s longstanding promise to intensify immigration enforcement.
The White House confirmed the troop movement on Wednesday, though detailed specifics of the order remain undisclosed. This deployment marks a significant step in Trump’s efforts to tighten border security and address illegal immigration.
Officials told US media that the service members involved included 500 marines. They are not expected to conduct law enforcement duties as part of their role at the border.
The troop deployment was widely expected, as immigration had been a hallmark of Trump’s campaign for a second term.
Shortly after he was sworn in on Monday, the Republican leader signed an executive order declaring a “national emergency” at the border, repeating some of the heated rhetoric he had delivered on the campaign trail.