Trump Deploys Navy Warship to Deter Illegal Immigration at Sea

Trump Deploys Navy Warship to Deter Illegal Immigration at Sea

President Donald Trump's decision to send a Navy warship to assist with security at the southern border sends a strong message of deterrence to those who might be thinking of crossing into the U.S. by sea, according to experts.

The USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, is being deployed to assist in border security efforts under Trump's executive order. The Navy's primary mission for the warship is to patrol the Gulf of America on the lookout for drug smugglers.

The deployment of the USS Gravely shows the Navy's dedication to "combating maritime-related terrorism, weapons proliferation, transnational crime, piracy, environmental destruction, and illegal seaborne immigration," according to Navy officials. The warship will enhance "maritime efforts" and "fill critical capabilities gaps" for Department of Homeland Security operations on the border.

"It's not only vital for the United States to have control of our border via land," Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters. "It's equally important to control our territorial waters, and this deployment directly supports U.S. Northern Command's mission to protect our sovereignty."

Experts argue that the Navy's deployment will help supplement operations already being carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard and will also enhance the Coast Guard's capability, covering more sea and sending a strong message to those turning to the seas as an alternative to land crossings.

"Like the forces on land that are providing a supportive balance role to the Border Patrol … the Navy will be doing the same thing, providing support to the Coast Guard in doing interdiction and enforcing … immigration activities on the high seas," said Alfonso Aguilar, a former chief of the U.S. Office of Citizenship and the director of Hispanic engagement at the American Principles Project.

Aguilar also noted the timing of the deployment, arguing that it fits with what land forces have already accomplished on the border under Trump.

"The numbers have gone down, even the number of people trying [to cross the border] by sea, but it's still a route," Aguilar said. "What we have seen is that every time we close the door, they try to find another way to get in. So we have to close our land border, but we also have to close those sea entries to the U.S.