United States - January 23, 2025 The US government on Wednesday began deploying some 1,500 troops to the border with Mexico, the first step in President Donald Trump's promise to ‘close’ the migrant crossing and strengthen border security. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the president signed the executive order for the deployment on Monday, and the Pentagon later confirmed it had mobilised to comply. Acting Defence Secretary Robert Salesses said Wednesday that he has authorised three actions. First, the dispatch of these troops and helicopters and their respective personnel, as well as intelligence analysts to assist in detection and monitoring. According to his figures, this represents a 60 percent increase in the number of active ground forces since Trump took office on Monday. Camera: CAROLINE BREHMAN. FOOTAGE SHOWS THE US-MEXICO BORDER WALL IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA. [Restrictions: Spain, Latin America, or the U.S. Hispanic market]