The Pentagon announced on Wednesday the deployment of 1,500 active-duty military personnel to the southern U.S. border. This move aligns with executive orders from President Donald Trump aimed at tightening immigration enforcement shortly after he took office.
Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses indicated that the troops would primarily support Border Patrol agents by flying helicopters and aiding in the construction of border barriers. Additionally, the Pentagon plans to supply military aircraft to assist the Department of Homeland Security with deportation flights for over 5,000 migrants currently detained.
Salesses mentioned that the number of deployed troops and their specific mission might evolve soon, stating, “This is just the beginning.” He emphasized that the Pentagon will collaborate with various federal agencies and state partners to tackle the array of threats outlined by the President concerning border security.
Defense officials also indicated their readiness to deploy additional troops if requested, potentially including up to 2,000 more Marines. Importantly, they clarified that there are presently no intentions for these troops to engage in law enforcement, a role they have not assumed in decades. Any future decision regarding this matter would rest solely with the White House.
The active-duty forces will join around 2,500 National Guard and Reserve personnel already stationed at the border. Until this deployment, active-duty soldiers had not been present at the approximately 2,000-mile border. A senior military official reported that several hundred troops began moving towards the border on Wednesday; these include 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton and the remaining forces from the Army.
The military’s involvement in deportation flights will be distinct from the newly deployed troops aimed at border assistance. This operation will utilize four Air Force aircraft operating out of San Diego and El Paso, alongside crews and maintenance staff.
Previous administrations, including Trump and former President Joe Biden, have also dispatched active-duty troops to support Border Patrol operations. While military personnel are generally prohibited from engaging in law enforcement due to the Posse Comitatus Act, that might change following recent executive orders. Trump has directed incoming officials from the Department of Defense and Homeland Security to evaluate whether invoking the Insurrection Act, which permits the use of military forces for civilian law enforcement, is necessary. This act was last invoked in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots.
This anticipated military deployment comes during Trump’s inaugural week and is seen as an early part of his long-promised initiative to bolster military presence along the border. During his first directive, Trump instructed the secretary of defense to craft a strategy to “seal the borders” and combat “illegal mass migration.”
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, stated, “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 implement homeland security rigorously. This is a top priority for the American people.”
Additionally, on the same day that Trump dismissed Coast Guard commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the service revealed plans to reinforce the “Gulf of America”—the newly named Gulf of Mexico—with more cutter ships, aircraft, and personnel. Trump asserted in his inaugural address that he would declare a national emergency at the southern border, promising that all illegal entry would cease and that steps would begin to deport numerous undocumented individuals.
Since the 1990s, military personnel have been consistently sent to the border to assist in tackling issues surrounding migration, drug smuggling, and organized crime. Executive orders issued on Monday indicated that the military would provide support for the Department of Homeland Security in areas like detention facilities, transportation (including aircraft), and various logistical functions.
Currently, around 20,000 Border Patrol agents patrol the southern border, although their responsibilities also extend to overseeing the northern boundary with Canada. Traditionally, these agents focus on intercepting drug runners or undocumented individuals attempting to enter the country covertly. Recently, they faced challenges as many migrants have sought out Border Patrol in hopes of asylum, stretching the agency’s resources thin.
During his first term, Trump had previously dispatched active-duty troops in response to a caravan of migrants traversing Mexico en route to the United States in 2018, leading to the deployment of over 7,000 active-duty members across Texas, Arizona, and California, including military police and various support units.
Although the Pentagon insisted at the time that active-duty troops would not perform law enforcement roles, many helped transport Border Patrol agents, construct vehicle barriers, assist with communication efforts, and provide security at agent encampments. They also offered medical support and basic provisions to Border Patrol personnel.
At this stage, it remains uncertain if the military will be instructed to utilize bases for housing detained migrants. Officials have indicated that such requests are currently nonexistent. Historically, military facilities have been repurposed for this use, such as during the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, where bases temporarily sheltered thousands of evacuees.
In 2018, former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis prepared Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas for the potential housing of up to 20,000 unaccompanied minors, but that capacity ultimately was not needed. Later, in March 2021, the Biden administration started using Fort Bliss, Texas, as a detention site for unaccompanied children, a facility that quickly became overwhelmed amid rising border crossings and faced severe operational challenges as documented in a 2022 inspector general report.
