Report: US Troops to Remain at Border Until Jan. 31

Military troops will remain at the U.S.-Mexico border through Jan. 31, Stars and Stripes reported Tuesday.

Defense Secretary James Mattis approved a request from the Department of Homeland Security to keep the troops in Texas, Arizona, and California to support Border Patrol agents protecting against illegal immigration, said Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Defense Department spokesman, the military news outlet reported.

About 5,400 troops have been deployed; the number that will remain was not provided.

According to Stars and Stripes, troops deployed since late October worked to "harden" the border with coiled razor-wire barriers.

And in late November, military police, who carry a weapon as part of their day-to-day assignments, also were given authorization to provide force protection for the Customs and Border Protection agents, the outlet reported.

The military mission will continue to provide limited aviation, engineering, medical and military police resources, Stars and Stripes reported.

• Report: 300 Troops Shifted to California as Asylum-Seekers Amass
• Mattis Says He Has Extra Authority to Use Military on Border