1500 troops moved to US border as deportation operations commence
Donald Trump’s border security and immigration crackdown is being implemented, with 1500 troops sent to the southwest border and deportation operations commencing.
Donald Trump’s crackdown on unlawful migrants is being swiftly implemented, with an extra 1500 troops being sent to the southwest border and the Pentagon providing military uplift for deportation flights of more than 5000 illegal aliens detained in the San Diego and El Paso regions.
Acting Secretary of Defence Robert Salesses on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) said the department would assist with construction of temporary and permanent barriers to curtail illegal border crossings and illicit trafficking.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “In short order, the Department of Defence will develop and execute additional missions in co-operation with the Department of Homeland Security, federal agencies and state partners to address the full range of threats outlined by the President at our nation’s borders.”
Securing the border and cracking down on illegal migration are Mr Trump’s biggest political priorities, and he signed several executive orders on day one to implement his agenda, including ending birthright citizenship; suspending refugee admissions; designating Mexican cartels and gangs as terrorist organisations; restricting federal funds for “sanctuary jurisdictions”; shutting down the “CPB one” app facilitating screening appointments for migrants; completing the border wall; and deploying the military to defend the US southern border.
The use of the military to buttress security at the border came as congress passed the Laken Riley Act aimed at requiring the DHS to detain those living in the US illegally and who had been arrested for offences such as theft and assault of a police officer.
The new law, which makes it easier for immigration officials to detain and deport illegal migrants charged with crimes, will likely become the first bill signed into law by Mr Trump.
It passed the house by 236-156 with the support of 46 Democrats.
The law was named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed by an illegal migrant from Venezuela, Jose Ibarra, who had previously been arrested for theft, after she went out running in 2024 around the University of Georgia campus.
On the third day of the Trump Administration, border tsar Tom Homan told CNN the green light had been given for deportations to commence and Immigration and Customers Enforcement officers had started conducting “targeted enforcement operations”.
Mr Homan said ICE officers “know exactly who they are looking for (and) they know pretty much where they’ll find them. I wouldn’t call them raids … These are well planned operations.”
He would not reveal the exact locations of enforcement operations out of “safety concerns” but said “ICE is back doing their job”. He confirmed that officials were prioritising those people in the country illegally with a criminal conviction.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Salesses confirmed that a taskforce had been established at the Pentagon to oversee implementation of Mr Trump’s executive orders – including the use of the military for missions called for by the President.
“DoD will begin augmenting its forces at the southwest border with an additional 1500 ground personnel, as well as helicopters with associated crews, and intelligence analysts to support increased detection and monitoring efforts,” he said. “This represents a 60 per cent increase in active-duty ground forces since President Trump was sworn in Monday.”
“The department will provide military airlift to support DHS deportation flights of more than 5000 illegal aliens from the San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas, sectors detained by Customs and Border Protection.”
He also said that on Tuesday, he convened a meeting with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior policy leaders at the Pentagon, commanders of US Northern Command and Transportation Command and the chief of the National Guard Bureau directing them to support Mr Trump’s executive orders aimed at protecting the territorial integrity of the US.
Democrats have signalled a fresh willingness to work with Republicans on securing the border, with a group of 13 Democrats – led by Arizona senator Mark Kelly – offering bipartisan support on Wednesday for “meaningful and long-lasting solutions” to the immigration needs facing the US.
The letter sent on Wednesday to Senate majority leader John Thune said “we remain ready to work with you in good faith to craft legislation that can achieve bipartisan support and 60 votes in the Senate”.
“We can solve big challenges when we work together,” it said. “And there is much work to do to improve border security, protect Dreamers and farmworkers, and fix our immigration system to better reflect the needs of our country and our modern economy.”
The fallout from the slew of day-one orders is being felt beyond US borders, with the fate of 1600 Afghan refugees who assisted the US war effort thrown into doubt after plans for their resettlement in America were shelved. One active duty soldier with the 82nd Airborne Division told CNN he had two family members who were impacted.
The soldier, not being identified because of safety concerns, said his family members were in hiding because of their connection to assisting the US war effort.
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