The deployment is part of Trump's move to declare a 'state of emergency' along the southern US border.
The United States military has begun deploying 1,500 active duty troops to the country's southern border with Mexico, as part of President Donald Trump's long-promised immigration crackdown.
The White House confirmed the troop on Wednesday, although details of the plan have not yet been released.
Officials told US media that the crew includes 500 marines. They are not expected to perform law enforcement duties as part of their role on the border.
The military deployment is highly anticipated, as the move was a hallmark of Trump's second term campaign.
Shortly after being sworn in on Monday, the Republican leader signed a document Executive Order declaring a “national emergency” on the border, repeating what he said on the campaign trail.
“American governance is collapsing,” the official said. “This attack has caused chaos and suffering in our country for the past 4 years.”
The order included requirements for the deployment of troops “to support the efforts of the Secretary of Defense to obtain full control of the southern border”.
It also called for the installation of other physical barriers, as well as the use of unmanned aerial surveillance.
Trump's communications team quickly hailed Wednesday's troop deployment as a fulfillment of his campaign promise.
“This is what President Trump campaigned on,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“The American people have been waiting for a time like this – for our Department of Defense to ensure national security.”
About 2,500 members of the US National Guard and reservists are already at the border.
In addition, US Customs and Border Protection employs more than 45,000 people. Like about Fiscal Year 202319,104 of these personnel worked as border patrols to protect areas between ports of entry.
However, immigration advocates fear that increased military presence on the border could stifle legitimate security claims or lead to the use of military tactics against civilians.
But Trump has said a military response is necessary because of the high rates of illegal immigration into the US.
They often conflate immigration with crime rates, which are not statistically proven. Studies have repeatedly shown that undocumented US citizens commit crimes at a lower rate than US-born citizens, including violent crimes.
However, Trump has used examples like that of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, to advance his ideas.
In February 2024, Riley was killed while running at the University of Georgia, and an illegal Venezuelan man was found guilty of his murder.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act, named in his honor.
It requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest any undocumented person arrested or charged with theft or robbery. Having already passed the Senate, the bill now heads to Trump's desk, where he is expected to sign it. It will be the first major order of the administration.
But human rights activists warn that the law may violate the process of the accused, because those who have the law only need to be charged, not sentenced.