Army tells units to prepare for deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border

The U.S. Army has told units to prepare for deployment in anticipation of a decision to further increase U.S. military presence at the U.S.-Mexico border in the next 24 to 48 hours, CBS News has learned.

A defense official said no additional orders have been handed out yet, but officials are reviewing deployment options which could include sending Army Stryker eight-wheeled armored vehicles to the southwest border.

On his second full day in office, President Trump declared a national emergency along the southern border and ordered the Defense Department to provide troops and resources “to support the activities of the Secretary of Homeland Security in obtaining complete operational control” of the border. He also instructed the military to help build border barriers to discourage migrants.

An internal Customs and Border Protection memo dated Jan. 21 and obtained by CBS News indicated that Trump administration officials are considering deploying as many as 10,000 soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a dramatic crackdown on illegal immigration.

The memo also said officials are considering using Department of Defense bases to hold migrants awaiting deportation.

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the president had signed another executive order to deploy 1,500 troops to the southern border, where 2,500 soldiers are already stationed under federal orders. Texas and other states have also deployed National Guard soldiers to the border in recent years, including to fortify it with razor wire.

The Trump administration’s plans to greatly expand the role of the U.S. military in border enforcement is part of a larger campaign to seal U.S. borders to migrants and asylum-seekers.

The Trump administration has directed U.S. immigration agents along the borders with Mexico and Canada to swiftly and summarily deport migrants crossing into the country illegally, denying them the opportunity to request asylum, according to CBP officials and internal documents.

While Mr. Trump made immigration a top issue in the campaign, his administration inherited a relatively calm southern border, with illegal crossings there at a four-year low. Unlawful crossings into the U.S. plunged in 2024 from record highs in the previous three years due to a Mexican crackdown on migrants. They fell further after the Biden administration enacted restrictions on asylum last June.

contributed to this report.

Margaret Brennan

Margaret Brennan is moderator of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” She is also the Network’s chief foreign affairs correspondent based in Washington, D.C. and a contributing correspondent to “60 Minutes.”