The United States military has initiated the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops to the country's southern border with Mexico as part of President Donald Trump's intensified efforts to crack down on immigration. This move follows the issuance of an executive order declaring a "national emergency" at the border, which includes provisions for the deployment of armed forces. The White House confirmed the troop movement on Wednesday, although the full details of the order have yet to be released.
"This is something President Trump campaigned on," said Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, underlining the administration's commitment to addressing immigration issues, a central theme of Trump's campaign for a second term.
The deployment includes 500 marines and is complemented by an existing force of approximately 2,500 US National Guard members and reserve troops already stationed at the border. These measures aim to bolster the efforts of US Customs and Border Protection, which employs over 45,000 personnel, including 19,104 border patrol agents responsible for securing the areas between official ports of entry.
In conjunction with the troop deployment, legislative measures are also underway. The House of Representatives recently passed the Laken Riley Act, named in honor of a young woman whose tragic death highlighted concerns about undocumented immigrants involved in criminal activities. The act mandates that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain any undocumented person arrested or charged with specific crimes such as theft or robbery. The bill now proceeds to President Trump's desk, where he is expected to sign it into law.
Despite these stringent measures, studies consistently show that undocumented individuals in the United States commit crimes at a lower rate than US-born citizens, including violent offenses. This statistic underscores a complex dynamic in the ongoing immigration debate, as policymakers balance security concerns with the realities of immigrant communities' contributions to society.
