White House announced on Wednesday that the U.S. Military will be sending 1,500 more active-duty soldiers to the border of Mexico. This comes just two days after Donald Trump signed his executive order on immigration.

These additional troops will include 500 Marines as well as Army helicopter teams and intelligence analysts. The additional troops will join the 2,200 active duty soldiers and thousands of National Guard who were already on the border before Trump's inauguration last week.

During his first presidential term, Republican Trump sent 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico. Former Democratic President Joe Biden also deployed active duty troops to the border.

White House spokesperson KarolineLeavitt said to reporters that "this comes after (Trump's day one action...) to direct the Department of Defense... to make Homeland Security a core agency mission."

Unnamed official said that informal discussions had taken place about the possibility of sending up to 10,000 troops in time. Officials cautioned that a final number had not yet been determined, and that troop numbers will depend on several factors including the impact on military readiness, and what Department for Homeland Security asks for.

Acting Defense Sec. Robert Salesses announced that the U.S. Military would provide flights to help deport more than 5,000 U.S. immigrants who were being held by U.S. Authorities in El Paso (Texas) and San Diego (California).

Salesses stated that "DHS would provide in-flight police enforcement, and the State Department would obtain the necessary diplomatic clearances."

According to a U.S. official who spoke anonymously with Pentagon reporters, the additional 1,500 soldiers heading for the border do not appear to have law enforcement responsibilities.

Trump declared illegal immigration as a national crisis on his first day of office. He also tasked the U.S. Military with border security.

His executive order of January 20 instructed the Pentagon that it should send as many troops necessary to "completely operational control the southern border of United States."

It said that the heads of Homeland Security and Defense Departments would need to decide within 90 days whether any additional action, such as invoking 1807's Insurrection Act, is necessary.

The Insurrection act of 1807 permits the U.S. President to deploy military forces to suppress domestic insurrection. It has been used to quell civil unrest in the past.

Trump reclaimed the White House by promising to increase border security and deport record numbers migrants. He criticised Biden for the high level of illegal immigration. However, the number of migrants caught illegally crossing had already started to drop dramatically after Biden tightened his policies and Mexico increased enforcement.

The Coast Guard is responsible for maritime security and law-enforcement. On Tuesday, it announced that it would "immediately" send forces and ships in a number areas, such as the southeast border near Florida to "prevent and deter a maritime migration from Haiti or Cuba."

Another key area is the maritime border between Texas, Mexico and the "Gulf of America."

Trump said that he would like to change the Gulf of Mexico's name to the Gulf of America. (Reporting and editing by Idrees Al, Phil Stewart and Jeff Mason)

(source: Reuters)