Recent military deployment increases total personnel to approximately 9,000 for immigration enforcement efforts.
The United States military has announced that nearly 3,000 additional soldiers will be deployed to the border with Mexico, raising the total number of troops mobilized in the region to approximately 9,000.
The deployment aims to assist border enforcement efforts, categorized as a priority by the Trump administration.
According to a statement from North American Aerospace Defense Command (Northcom), the primary objective of these personnel is to assist local law enforcement agencies in "maintaining security at the southern border." The military’s role will focus on surveillance, administrative support, and logistical assistance, with an emphasis on enhancing airlift capabilities.
General Gregory Guillot, commander of Northcom, stated that the deployment is intended to provide additional agility and support in addressing the influx of illegal migrants and drug trafficking at the southern border.
On his first day back in office, President
Donald Trump signed a declaration of emergency at the Mexico border and, two days later, ordered the deployment of an additional 1,500 troops.
Trump has criticized Mexico for insufficient action against illegal immigration and the smuggling of fentanyl, a potent opioid that has significantly impacted public health in the United States.
Throughout his electoral campaign, Trump labeled migrants as "criminals" who "poison the blood" of the United States, pledging to carry out "the largest deportation operation in the history of the country."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates that around 11 million undocumented individuals resided in the United States as of 2022. According to the U.S. Border Patrol, approximately 8.8 million apprehensions of undocumented migrants were made at the Mexico border during the four-year administration of former President
Joe Biden, noting a peak in late 2023 followed by a marked decline towards the end of his term.
Trump has claimed that his administration significantly expedited this decrease, asserting that February saw the "LOWEST" number of apprehensions of undocumented individuals at the southern border in "history, AND BY FAR." He remarked that the "invasion of our country is over" on his platform, Truth Social.
To accelerate the deportation processes, the Trump administration has been pressuring Latin American countries to accept the return of their nationals.
Additionally, the administration has started to target so-called "sanctuary" states and cities that refuse to cooperate with federal deportation policies.
Plans are also in motion for the temporary detention of up to 30,000 undocumented migrants at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo, Cuba, in conjunction with the existing capacity of approximately 40,000 spots in detention camps across the United States.