WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said Wednesday it is sending 1,500 active duty troops to the southern border, just two days after President Donald Trump took office and signed executive actions on immigration.
Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said the troops will fly helicopters to assist Border Patrol agents, provide military airlift flights for more than 5,000 detained migrants and assist in the construction of barriers.
“[T]he Department will provide military airlift to support DHS deportation flights of more than five thousand illegal aliens from the San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas, sectors detained by Customs and Border Protection,” Salesses said in a statement. “DHS will provide inflight law enforcement, and the State Department will obtain the requisite diplomatic clearances and provide host-nation notification.”
“This is something President Trump campaigned on. The American people have been waiting for such a time as this for our Department of Defense to actually take homeland security seriously. This is the number one priority of the American people and the president is already delivering on that,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
There are already roughly 2,200 active duty forces at the border as part of Joint Task Force-North.
“Securing the southern border and deporting illegal immigrants from this country. President Trump is sending a very strong message to people around this world: 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. Do not come,” she added.
Troops already began going to the border earlier Wednesday, according to a military official briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity.
Troops are prohibited by law from doing law enforcement duties under the Posse Comitatus Act.
Trump made a promise during his inaugural address to address immigration as soon as his first week.
“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,” he said on Monday.
