Friday 24 / January / 2025
Washington: The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced it would deploy an additional 320 soldiers to the southern border with Mexico to provide support to immigration officials.
Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Davis said the troops would assist with transporting migrants, monitoring the welfare of migrants in custody and providing heating and meals.
The troops are not tasked to perform any law enforcement functions.
The troops, set to deploy until the end of September, will join around 2,900 active duty military and 2,000 National Guard members currently posted to the border.
“In any situation that requires DoD personnel to be in proximity to migrants, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) law enforcement personnel will be present to conduct all custodial and law enforcement functions,” Davis said.
In recent months, thousands of migrants have arrived in Mexico, primarily Central Americans fleeing poverty and violence at home. US President Donald Trump has described them as a threat to national security.
He also said last week that the US would send armed soldiers to the southern border after Mexican soldiers allegedly “pulled guns” on US troops, escalating his war of words with Mexico on immigration.
The president, who has made immigration the core of his message to his conservative base, said on Twitter that “a very big Caravan of over 20,000 people” is making its way through Mexico toward the US.
