Approximately 5,000 U.S. troops will be deploying to the southern border as early as Tuesday, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.
The number is far higher than initial estimates, which only mentioned numbers in the hundreds. The soldiers are considered support troops, not combat, and include engineers and medical personnel. They will act as barriers on the border.
President Trump has continued warning the migrants to turn back, saying in a tweet Monday morning that the “military is waiting for you!”
The additional troops will provide logistical and other support to the Border Patrol, and will bolster the efforts of the approximately 2,000 National Guard forces already there.
The new forces are expected to provide logistical assistance such as air support and equipment, including vehicles and tents.
National Guard troops routinely perform those same functions, so it is not clear why active duty forces are being used.
The National Guard is often used by states to help with border security. But active-duty troops are rarely deployed within the United States except for domestic emergencies like hurricanes or floods.