The Pentagon announced on Sunday plans to send 3,750 more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, reports Fox News.
“Additional units are being deployed for 90 days, and we will continue to evaluate the force composition required to meet the mission to protect and secure the southern border,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The additional troops “will raise the total active duty forces to approximately 4,350,” writes Fox News. “Roughly 2,400 active duty forces are currently at the border. A large number are going home and being replaced by the new deployment.”
President Trump followed up the announcement on Twitter by saying that “[w]ith Caravans marching through Mexico and toward our Country, Republicans must be prepared to do whatever is necessary for STRONG Border Security.”
With no congressional deal in sight for his proposed border wall, the president has suggested that he would declare a national emergency to secure the necessary funding.
Democrats have flatly refused any funding for the construction of a wall or strategically placed barriers along the U.S.-Southern border despite several compromises by the Trump administration.
U.S. troops have provided support for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helping to harden ports of entry by installing barbed wire, jersey barriers, and fencing, as well as providing protection for Border Patrol agents in California, Arizona, and Texas.