President Trump will deploy the National Guard to the southwest border to assist border patrol, Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced on Wednesday.
“It’s time to act,” Nielsen told reporters at a White House briefing. “Border security is homeland security, which is national security.” She added that the military presence is intended to crack down on a system that “rewards bad behavior.”
The president will sign a proclamation ordering the deployment later Wednesday, and expects the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to work with governors to facilitate the move.
Southern governors and previous presidents, including Barack Obama and George W. Bush, have also called on the National Guard to supplement border-security agents, even though troops are not encouraged to engage in military activity on American soil.
“Until we can have a wall and proper security, we’re going to be guarding our border with the military,” Trump announced at a White House press conference on Tuesday.
Details on the operation are scarce so far, and a start date has not yet been set.
“It will be strong. It will be as many as needed to fill the gaps we have today,” Nielsen said. “We do hope the deployment will begin immediately.”