A new video shows the first 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops arriving at the southern border between the United States and Mexico on Thursday following President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring a “national emergency” at the border.
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by media personality Benny Johnson shows the active-duty U.S. military members arriving at the southern border to strengthen the nation’s border security and reduce illegal immigration under the Trump administration following the unprecedented level of illegal immigration that occurred under the Biden-Harris administration.
On Wednesday, the Department of Defense announced that 1,500 active-duty troops were being sent to the southern border along with intelligence and air assets to “augment troops already conducting enforcement operations in that region.”
“On Monday, to protect the security and safety of United States citizens, President Trump declared that a national emergency exists at the southern border of the United States,” Acting Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses stated. “The president directed me to take all appropriate action to support the activities of the secretary of homeland security in obtaining complete operational control of the southern border of the United States.”
According to The Associated Press, Salesses indicated that the active-duty troops will help construct additional barriers at the southern border and will fly helicopters to assist Border Patrol agents on various missions. The Department of Defense noted that the 1,500 active-duty troops include 1,000 soldiers and 500 Marines.
The Associated Press reported that Salesses described the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops as “just the beginning.”
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Addressing the deployment of active-duty troops to the southern border, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “The American people have been waiting for such a time as this — for our Department of Defense to actually implement homeland security seriously. This is a No. 1 priority for the American people.”
In addition to the deployment of active-duty troops to the southern border, the Department of Defense announced that it would be providing airlift support for the Department of Homeland Security to deport over 5,000 individuals detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In Wednesday’s statement, Salesses explained that the Department of Defense will “develop and execute additional missions in cooperation with DHS, federal agencies, and state partners to address the full range of threats” detailed by Trump regarding the borders of the United States.
“President Trump directed action from [DOD] on securing our nation’s borders and made clear he expects immediate results,” Salesses concluded. “That is exactly what our military is doing under his leadership.”