Kirstjen Nielsen, the United States secretary of Homeland Security, announced Wednesday that US President Donald Trump is directing the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to cooperate to deploy the National Guard to the Mexican border, Sputnik News reports.
The president will be signing a proclamation regarding the deployment later today, Nielsen told a press briefing. Deployed forces would be involved in support activities, not enforcement at this time.
When asked why the guard was needed, Nielsen said that smugglers were exploiting loopholes in US detention and that illegal border crossings had risen dramatically.
"We must change the environment, we must change these pull factors," Nielsen urged, before stating that it would take some time before new legislation would be "finalized."
It's unclear how much the deployment will cost, but the DHS secretary said past figures would be useful references.