Pentagon Prepares to Deploy Thousands of Troops to the US-Mexico Border

The American newspaper Wall Street Journal reported in an exclusive article that the US Department of Defense is preparing to deploy "thousands of troops" to the border between the United States and Mexico in the southwest. According to this new report published on Friday, January 25, the Pentagon is preparing to send over five thousand seasoned combat troops with the aim of preventing the entry of illegal immigrants. Donald Trump confirmed last November after his election victory that he intends to declare the protection of the country's borders as an emergency and use the US military for the widespread expulsion of illegal immigrants. The deployment of combat troops will increase the number of US military personnel at the southwest border with Mexico to over seven thousand. Currently, 2,500 personnel from the US Army Reserve and National Guard are serving at the borders. According to the Wall Street Journal, this number could reach 10,000. However, the report states that the Pentagon's action is preemptive so that as soon as the order to deploy troops is issued from the White House, the forces can be sent to the borders. Mexico, located south of the US and bordering several states including Texas and Arizona, has long been the main route for illegal immigrants from other Latin American countries into the United States. In this context, the New York Post published a video on TikTok on Friday showing the expulsion of "Mexican" illegal immigrants from the US back to Mexico. At the same time, the White House announced that US immigration agents arrested 538 "illegal immigrants" in one day and expelled "hundreds" of other immigrants from the country. The release of these statistics led to protests and criticism from at least one city official in New Jersey, who accused immigration agents of including several US citizens and retired military personnel among those arrested. Combating illegal immigration to the United States was one of Donald Trump's main campaign slogans, which he emphasized upon entering the White House by signing several executive orders. Responsible agencies estimate that there are currently about 11 million illegal immigrants residing in the US. It is predicted that Donald Trump's plan for expelling immigrants will affect the situation of 20 million families.