The United States military has started to send 1,500 active-duty troops to the country’s southern border with Mexico, as part of President Donald Trump’s long-promised crackdown on immigration.
The White House confirmed the troop movement on Wednesday, though the full details of the order have yet to be released.
Officials told US media that the service members involved included 500 marines. They are not expected to conduct law enforcement duties as part of their role at the border.
The troop deployment was widely expected, as immigration had been a hallmark of Trump’s campaign for a second term.
Shortly after he was sworn in on Monday, the Republican leader signed an executive order declaring a “national emergency” at the border, repeating some of the heated rhetoric he had delivered on the campaign trail.
“America’s sovereignty is under attack,” the executive order said. “This invasion has caused widespread chaos and suffering in our country over the last 4 years.”
The order included provisions for the deployment of armed forces “to support the activities of the Secretary of Homeland Security in obtaining complete operational control of the southern border”.
It also called for additional physical barriers to be erected, as well as the use of unmanned aerial surveillance.
Source: Al Jazeera
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
