The Pentagon is preparing to deploy up to 1,500 active-duty troops to assist with securing the southern border, U.S. officials revealed on Wednesday. This decision aligns with directives issued by President Donald Trump through executive orders shortly after taking office, aimed at tightening immigration controls.
President Trump instructed the defense secretary to devise a strategy to “seal the borders” and counter “unlawful mass migration.” In the executive orders signed earlier this week, the president suggested the military could support the Department of Homeland Security by providing detention facilities, transportation resources, and other logistical services.
Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses was expected to approve the deployment orders, though specifics regarding which units will be sent and the total number of troops involved remain unclear. The final figure could still change depending on operational needs.
It has not been determined whether the active-duty troops will engage in law enforcement activities, a role unprecedented for the military in modern history. For now, the forces would likely complement the approximately 2,500 U.S. National Guard and Reserve troops already stationed at the border. Currently, no active-duty military personnel are deployed in the areaIn a decisive move, the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday endorsed the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a $884 billion package that significantly boosts military personnel pay while taking a stand against funding gender transition procedures for certain transgender children of military personnel.
The bill, which passed with a 281-140 vote, features a substantial 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5 percent raise for other military personnel, emphasizing support for those who serve. However, the passage was not without controversy, as last-minute amendments by Republicans aimed to prevent the use of taxpayer money for gender transition care that could lead to sterilization among the children of service members.
Nebraska Republican, Don Bacon, told CNN, “Citizens don’t want their tax dollars to go to this, and underaged people often regret these surgeries later in life. It’s a bad hill to die on for Democrats.”.
