More Troops Deployed to Southern Border: Is This Really the Best Use of Our Military?

The Department of Defense (DOD) is dispatching an additional 1,140 U.S. troops to the southern border, aiming to reinforce U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) efforts in managing the influx of illegal immigrants. This move comes as part of what U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) describes as ongoing collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security to address critical capability gaps, aligning with a presidential executive order focused on protecting the American people against invasion.

Currently, there are 4,300 active-duty troops stationed at the southern border. The addition will bring the total number of active-duty service members to 5,440. USNORTHCOM stated that these additional troops will support joint task force operations, including command and control of sustainable units, coordination of logistical support, field feeding support sites, and control of logistical movement.

The deployed Army units will come from various locations, including the 101st Division Sustainment Brigade from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and other units from Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Carson, Colorado; Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

In related news, the previous administration designated eight gangs and cartels, including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and MS-13, as foreign terrorist organizations. According to the former Secretary of State Marco Rubio, there was a "sufficient factual basis" under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to issue these designations.

Also, flights of illegal immigrants were sent to the Guantánamo Bay detention site in Cuba earlier this month. The base, which once held hundreds of prisoners, could potentially house around 30,000 "criminal illegal aliens." It makes you wonder if this is the best solution for this situation.