The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) plans to send an additional 1,140 active-duty soldiers to America's southern border, aiming to support the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) amid ongoing efforts to manage the flow of illegal immigration. According to U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the additional deployment aligns with President Trump's executive order titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion," and will help address critical capability gaps identified by the Department of Homeland Security.

Currently, 4,300 active-duty personnel are stationed at the U.S.-Mexico border; the recent reinforcement would increase the total forces to approximately 5,440 servicemembers. The additional personnel will assist ongoing joint task force operations, focusing primarily on command and control efforts, logistical coordination such as managing supply movements, and operational support activities like field feeding sites.

The new troops will be composed of units from several U.S. Army divisions stationed at military installations across the country. Specifically, these include the 101st Division Sustainment Brigade from Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Alpha Company of the 189th Division Sustainment Support Battalion from Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Bravo Company of the 68th Division Sustainment Support Battalion from Fort Carson, Colorado; Charlie Company of the 129th DSSB from Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion from Fort Bragg, North Carolina; 70th Movement Control Team from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; and 564th Quartermaster Company from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Moreover, the Trump administration has recently labeled eight prominent gangs and cartels—including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and MS-13—as foreign terrorist organizations. This new designation strengthens the government's ability to confront and dismantle these criminal groups operating within U.S. territory. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted earlier this month that there was sufficient evidence under the Immigration and Nationality Act to justify these classifications.

Additionally, the administration has begun transferring certain detained illegal immigrants to the Guantánamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. Officials indicate that the facility, once utilized to house hundreds of prisoners, has enough capacity to hold approximately 30,000 detainees classified as "criminal illegal aliens," marking another significant development in the administration's broader approach to immigration enforcement and border security.