Troops Begin New Phase at Southern Border: Surveillance

U.S. military service members are set to begin a new phase of immigration enforcement at the southern border in support of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal crossings: surveillance.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week gave an order allowing troops assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border (JTF-SB) to begin conducting patrols, both on foot and aboard Stryker armored vehicles.

"Conducting patrols, either on foot or mounted, creates a more proactive and adaptable posture compared to static posts," Army Maj. Jennifer L. Staton, a Defense Department spokesperson, said in the release. "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."

To that end, the plans call for troops to station the Strykers near the border and use night vision and powerful equipment to surveil open spaces, Politico reported. Hegseth's order expands the duties of soldiers from just logistics and back-end work, according to the report.

Troops are not permitted to assist local or federal law enforcement in detaining illegals but instead "will relay all observations of illegal crossings directly to [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] for response and enforcement," Staton said. Troops will also transport federal border agents to areas they need to get to.

"The authority to transport [Customs and Border Protection] personnel during patrols means law enforcement personnel will be on hand or nearby to conduct any necessary law enforcement activity," Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, said Tuesday in a statement, according to Politico.

Also, troops patrolling the border will be armed and are authorized to defend themselves if attacked.

The Pentagon said roughly 6,600 active-duty personnel, including 1,600 Marines, are operating as part of JTF-SB.

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