Washington: US officials announced that the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) will deploy about three thousand additional soldiers on the US-Mexico border. This move comes as US President Donald Trump seeks to tighten restrictions on illegal immigration and implement one of his main campaign promises.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Pentagon said in a statement that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued orders to transfer units from a combat brigade of the “Stryker” forces, in addition to an aviation battalion to support military operations in the region. These forces are expected to arrive at the border, which extends about two thousand miles, in the coming weeks.

Although the Department of Defense did not reveal the exact number of troops, US officials estimated the number of soldiers at about 3,000 soldiers. The Stryker vehicles are medium-armed, wheeled armored personnel carriers that will help enhance and secure current border security operations.

With the deployment of these forces, the total number of US forces deployed on the southern border will increase to approximately 12,200 soldiers, including 4,200 soldiers under federal orders and 5,000 National Guard members under the control of state governors. The Pentagon confirmed that the new forces will contribute to “enhancing current border security operations to protect the integrity of American territory,” at a time when Trump insists on expanding the military’s role in combating illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and cross-border crime.

It is noteworthy that US military forces have been deployed almost continuously on the border since the 1990s to combat illegal immigration, according to the Pentagon.