Hegseth Orders Troops to Start Patrolling Southern Border

The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that American military members at the southern border can start patrolling.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent the directive to the Joint Task Force Southern Border last week.

This task force “oversees subordinate units across the 2,000-mile border from San Diego, California, to McAllen, Texas.” According to the U.S. Army, approximately 10,000 military members are currently at the southern border.

“Conducting patrols, either on foot or mounted, creates a more proactive and adaptable posture compared to static posts,” said Army Maj. Jennifer L. Staton, a Defense Department spokesperson. “The dynamic approach of patrolling allows service members to cover a larger area of the border, affording them dynamic observation across multiple angles and distances.”

Staton added that allowing military members to be mobile allows an “element of unpredictability” for people coming to America illegally.

Even with these patrols, Staton said the troops are not part of law enforcement activities.

“Service members will not detain or apprehend individuals attempting illegal entry,” she said. “Instead, they will relay all observations of illegal crossings directly to [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] for response and enforcement.”

President Donald Trump has made border defense one of his top priorities. On his first day in office, the president signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border.

“America’s sovereignty is under attack. Our southern border is overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans, including America,” the executive order says.

“This invasion has caused widespread chaos and suffering in our country over the last 4 years. It has led to the horrific and inexcusable murders of many innocent American citizens, including women and children, at the hands of illegal aliens,” it said.

During the Biden administration’s four years in office, America took in around 10 million people who entered the country illegally.

In February, Border Patrol only apprehended 8,347 illegal aliens, which is an average of 330 per day.

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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected]. Follow Zachery on Twitter @zacheryschmidt2.