Trump Deploys 1,500 Troops to Fortify U.S.-Mexico Border

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday his decision to deploy 1,500 military troops to the southern border, leveraging an executive order he originally signed upon taking office. This move comes despite the fact that encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have reached their lowest levels in years.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized the president’s intent to communicate a strict message regarding U.S. immigration laws. “If you are thinking about breaking the laws of the United States of America, you will be returned home. You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted,” she stated, referencing Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration.

Though Leavitt confirmed the contingent of 1,500 troops, she did not clarify their origin or timeline for deployment. This announcement follows a series of immigration-related measures Trump enacted on his first day in office aimed at tightening border security.

Among these measures was a declaration of a national emergency at the southern border. This declaration outlined military involvement to provide detention space, transportation, and logistics support for law enforcement operations. Some of Trump’s other immigration orders, which aim to curtail asylum and challenge birthright citizenship, are currently facing legal scrutiny.

Historically, U.S. military deployments to the southern border are not unprecedented. The Biden administration also sent troops there in 2023 in response to a surge in migrant encounters, which totaled around 2.5 million in fiscal year 2023, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Typically, the role of military personnel at the border is limited to administrative duties, as the Posse Comitatus Act restricts their involvement in civil law enforcement. However, this could potentially change. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order instructing the secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to assess whether the Insurrection Act should be invoked, allowing for military action in domestic law enforcement.

Notably, the troop deployment comes during a period of decreased activity; December data from Customs and Border Protection reported only 96,000 encounters in December of 2024, a significant drop from 252,000 the previous year.

Last updated 3:34 p.m., Jan. 22, 2025