US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to stop migrants from entering the US through the southern border with Mexico, the White House said, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The document instructs the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the State Department to deny entry to illegal migrants through the southern border, repatriate and expel them. The order also restricts the right of these individuals to remain in the United States under the pretext of seeking asylum.
The U.S. military will send 1,500 additional active-duty troops to the border with Mexico.
The additional troops include 500 Marines, as well as Army helicopter crews and intelligence analysts. They will join the 2,200 active-duty troops and thousands of National Guard troops who were on the border before Trump took office this week.
During his first term, Trump ordered 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico. Democrat and former President Joe Biden has also sent troops to active duty at the border.
"This comes from Trump's actions from day one to direct the Department of Defense to make homeland security a core mission of the department," White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt told reporters.
Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there had been informal discussions about sending up to 10,000 troops over time. But officials cautioned that the final number of troops would depend on several factors, including the impact on military readiness and what the Department of Homeland Security wants.