Key points
- Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s executive orders
- US troops going to Guantanamo could help prepare the facility for an influx of migrants
- US Defence Department is preparing detention facilities at Guantanamo: Pete Hegseth
ISLAMABAD: The Pentagon is reportedly preparing to deploy at least 1,000 more active-duty troops to bolster President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown on immigration.
US officials said Friday that roughly 500 more soldiers — largely a headquarters unit from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in New York — will be sent to the southwest border, according to AP.
About 500 Marines will go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some of the detained migrants will be held.
Announcements due
The American wire service quoted officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because announcements have not been made.
They reportedly said there have been ongoing discussions about the deployments and the numbers could increase if additional details are worked out.
The Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s executive orders signed shortly after he took office on January 20. The first group of 1,600 active-duty troops deployed to the border last week.
The deployments reflect Trump’s determination to expand the military’s role in his campaign to shut down the border and send detained migrants back to their home countries.
Troops going to the border are expected to help put in place concertina wire barriers and provide needed transportation, intelligence and other support to the Border Patrol. Troops going to Guantanamo could help prepare the facility for an influx of migrants and do other support duties.
“Supermax prisons”
Speaking on “Fox and Friends” on Friday morning, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he believes the US can get “thousands of individuals in tents, secured in places at Guantanamo Bay.”
But he also said there’s the possibility that hardened criminals or violent gang members could also be housed there. As a result, he said the Defence Department is preparing detention facilities at Guantanamo “that are basically supermax prisons” to be used to hold them temporarily.
Update on Guantanamo Bay Operations and @SecDef Hegseth Addresses Tragic Mishap Involving US Army Helicopter pic.twitter.com/80J5djB4oP
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) January 30, 2025
Officials have been saying all week that there are likely to be additional troop deployments to help secure the southern border — potentially rolling out rapidly in the coming days. The eventual total deployed could be as many as 10,000.
