President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 1,500 additional troops to the US-Mexico border on Wednesday, coinciding with the signing of an executive order targeting what he referred to as “aliens engaged in an invasion of the United States through the southern border.”
The newly deployed troops will join approximately 2,200 active-duty personnel already stationed at the border, primarily performing logistical and administrative tasks. While the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 typically restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement, Trump indicated in a Monday order that he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act within 90 days to bypass the restriction.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated, “The American people have long awaited decisive action like this for our Department of Defense to take homeland security seriously.” She described the border security initiative as a top priority, though she did not specify the exact roles the deployed troops would undertake.
Earlier this week, Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at curbing migration, including a declaration of a national emergency at the southern border. The latest order grants broad authority to the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and State to take immediate action to “repel, repatriate, and remove illegal aliens” attempting to cross the southern border.
The White House explained that the president’s actions further restrict access to immigration provisions, including asylum, for individuals involved in what it described as an “invasion” across the border. The statement emphasized that these measures are designed to enhance border security and enforce stricter immigration controls.
