The Pentagon has ordered an additional 5,050 troops to the US-Mexico border to enhance security despite a decrease in unlawful border crossings recently.
The big picture: This decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth includes sending a Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT) and a general support aviation battalion to the border.
- Each SBCT comprises around 4,400 soldiers, while the aviation battalion consists of approximately 650 troops.
- The troops are expected to deploy along the nearly 2,000-mile border in the upcoming weeks, although the specific locations have not been disclosed.
Zoom out: President Donald Trump, since taking office, declared a national emergency at the southern border and signed executive orders to curb illegal crossings, prompting military involvement in bolstering security, migrant transportation and housing efforts.
- Trump had previously deployed 1,600 Marines to the border in January, in addition to 2,500 service members who were already stationed there.
- The new troop deployment could potentially raise the number of military personnel at the border to almost 10,000.
- Despite the troop increase, statistics indicate a significant decline in illegal border crossings, with figures showing a 94% drop compared to the same period the previous year.
