The National Guard has assisted the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in arresting at least 1,600 illegal immigrants on the southwest border, according to The Washington Examiner Wednesday.
The news comes after President Donald Trump announced in April that the U.S. military will be used to guard the U.S.-Mexico border to help stop the flow of illegal immigration. Since the announcement, 775 troops have been deployed and are helping CBP agents arrest the illegal immigrants in seven sectors, The Washington Examiner reported.
Trump originally said he would like to see between 2,000 to 4,000 troops on the border to assist CBP agents to reporters on Air Force One on April 5. So far, at least 3,000 troops are awaiting their deployment to help secure the border after Defense Secretary James Mattis authorized the move on April 7.
Since Trump has taken office, the arrest rate of illegal immigrants has significantly increased. Authorities arrested 155,000 illegal immigrants in 2017, a 41-percent increase over the number from 2016, under President Barack Obama, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Read more at the Daily Caller.
