Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center, is greeted by Army Soldiers while visiting the Mexico-U.S. border in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on February 3, 2025. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE WATCH STAFF
On a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on February 3, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that full control of the southern border is the goal of the Trump administration and all agencies working to enforce border security. Asked what mission accomplishment looks like, he said: “Mission accomplishment means 100% operational control of the border.”
“Right now, that means a surge of manpower. … We’ve seen thousands of active-duty and National Guard troops come to the border with additional assets and systems that allow us to surveil,” he said, according to a Defense Department (DOD) news release. DOD announced January 22, 2025, that it would send 1,500 active-duty service members to the border, along with more air and intelligence assets, to help enforce border security.
Hegseth also noted Mexico’s announcement on the day of his border visit that it had agreed to escalate its border enforcement. “We now have 10,000 Mexican troops that are going to be patrolling on the other side of the border. So, there’s cooperation with Mexico, as well,” Hegseth said.
When asked about housing deportees on military bases, Hegseth said DOD has numerous options. “Any assets necessary at the Defense Department to support the expulsion and detention of those in our country illegally [are] on the table, to include — as has been widely reported — Guantanamo Bay,” Hegseth said, according to the DOD news release. On January 29, 2025, Hegseth confirmed that DOD plans to house up to 30,000 criminal migrants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, under a presidential executive order.
Commenting on U.S. troops currently assigned to the border, Hegseth noted that state-based service members have the authority to help with enforcement, whereas federal troops can relieve U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from observational duties so those agents can perform apprehensions.
“I just talked with a bunch of great [enlisted service members] who are doing their duty. They’re calling in observations to [U.S. Customs and Border Protection], who then interdict,” Hegseth said, according to the news release. He said the process has increased the speed of apprehensions.
“The ability to control every portion of the border — underneath, above ground, [by air] and by sea is something we take very seriously, and we will ensure [that happens] as rapidly as possible,” Hegseth said. “Whatever is required from [the Department of Homeland Security] … from the border czar [Tom Homan] and others will be provided by the Defense Department. Because our mission is clear: 100% operational control … and we’re proud to do it.”
Hegseth concluded his visit to the border by praising the military organizations participating in the federal enforcement operation. “I want to give a shout-out to the commanders in the field who have executed rapidly and with maximum professionalism,” Hegseth said. “I’m incredibly proud of the warriors we have in the Defense Department and their commitment to this mission.”
Before his trip to the border, Hegseth visited Soldiers at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Fort Bliss serves as an entry point for troops to get training before moving to their border assignment, according to U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), which is responsible for all military work at the border. While Hegseth was there, he met with USNORTHCOM leaders and spoke to Soldiers assigned to the border mission, according to his posts on social media.
“Because of President Donald Trump, this is a new era at the southern border, a new era of determination, a new era of cooperation. And at the Defense Department, we are proud to be a part of it,” Hegseth told reporters at a news conference in El Paso, according to Fox News.