As many as 10,000 troops could eventually be stationed at the U.S.-Mexico border as part of Donald Trump’s sweeping campaign to carry out mass deportations and declare a national emergency at the international boundary line.
Though the operation will initially involve about 1,500 additional troops joining the roughly 2,500 already at the border, the total force could swell to 10,000 people, the Pentagon told reporters on Wednesday.
“This is just the beginning,” acting defense secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement.
The troops will not carry out direct immigration and border enforcement like making arrests and seizing drugs, but will reportedly serve other roles including transporting migrants to processing facilities and using military planes to assist the Department of Homeland Security in deporting migrants who are already detained.
At the same time as troops head to the southern border, the Border Patrol is expanding its detention capabilities, adding four new 10,000-bed facilities, according to a briefing document obtained by The Washington Post.
On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the border, expanding powers to send the National Guard and military to the border.
He has also asked the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to provide a recommendation on whether he can invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy U.S. troops on American soil to aid in federal law enforcement.
As part of his sweeping deportation plans, Trump has also sought to turn up the pressure on so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions that limit cooperation between local officials and federal immigration enforcement.
The Justice Department has directed federal prosecutors to investigate and potentially bring charges against local officials who refuse or impede immigration directives or requests.
Officials in such jurisdictions have pushed back on the order.
“This is a scare tactic, plain and simple. The President is attempting to intimidate and bully state and local law enforcement into carrying out his mass deportation agenda for him,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta wrote in a statement. “We’ll be prepared to take legal action if the Trump Administration’s vague threats turn to illegal action.”
Officials on the Mexican side of the border are also building up infrastructure to prepare for the ramp-up in deportations.
Border cities including Matamoros, Ciudad Juárez, and Tijuana have bulked up shelter capacity in recent days ahead of an expected flood of returnees.
