President Donald Trump recently claimed that “The Invasion of our Country is OVER” following a record-low number of border apprehensions in February. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported just 8,326 encounters with illegal immigrants, the lowest monthly figure in American history. This is a sharp contrast to the nearly 302,000 border encounters recorded by the Biden administration in December 2023, marking a 96 percent decrease in migrant apprehensions, The Washington Post reported.
The Trump team is proudly touting this as evidence that its policies have “closed the border” to illegal immigration. But how accurate is it?
The Pentagon has deployed an additional 3,000 active-duty soldiers to the southern border. This military presence includes a brigade from the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, equipped with 20-ton armored Stryker combat vehicles, designed for rapid deployment in hostile environments. The added troops will help fortify the current operations, collaborating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to maintain “100% OPERATIONAL CONTROL” of the border, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Fox News reported.
While the administration’s military presence is being framed as essential for border control, critics argue that the focus on deploying troops represents a temporary solution. Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego (D) stressed that real progress would require investing in long-term border infrastructure and resources for CBP officers, rather than solely relying on military intervention.
The Pentagon is deploying nearly 3,000 additional active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, increasing the total to about 12,200, NBC reported. This move supports President Trump’s efforts to curb illegal immigration. The troops include 2,400 soldiers from Fort Carson’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and 500 from Fort Stewart’s 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade. Their roles will focus on transportation, engineering, and monitoring, not direct immigration enforcement. The Pentagon’s objective is to enhance border security, reinforcing ongoing operations and ensuring U.S. territorial integrity. Military support at the border has been ongoing since the 1990s.
