The U.S. military on March 1 said it will deploy almost 3,000 additional troops to the country’s southern border with Mexico, bolstering the force there to some 9,000, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to combat illegal immigration.
"Approximately 2,400 soldiers from elements of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 4th Infantry Division" will be sent to the border, along with "approximately 500 soldiers from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade," U.S. Northern Command said in a statement.
The Defense Department said the “forces will arrive in the coming weeks and their deployment underscores the Department's unwavering dedication to working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to secure our southern border and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States under President Trump's leadership.”
SEE ALSO: Afghans In Mexico Anxious But Defiant As U.S. Shuts Down Immigration AppTrump made border security a major priority during his presidential campaign and declared a national emergency at the 3,218-kilometer U.S. frontier with Mexican on his first day in office.
U.S. officials said the Stryker unit will aid in detection and monitoring, administrative duties, transportation, and engineering support, but "will not conduct or be involved in interdiction or deportation operations."
Strykers are armored personnel carriers and have also been supplied to Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.
"These deployments will bring additional agility and capability to further efforts to stop the flow of illegal migrancy and drugs at the southern border," said General Gregory Guillot, the commander.
In a posting on his social media platform, Trump declared that "the Invasion of our Country is OVER."
"Thanks to the Trump Administration Policies, the Border is CLOSED to all Illegal Immigrants. Anyone who tries to illegally enter the U.S.A. will face significant criminal penalties and immediate deportation," he wrote.
The use of the U.S. military for civilian-related tasks is a controversial topic in the country, although military personnel have regularly been sent to the border over past decades to help fight illegal migration and drug trafficking and other international crime.