The Trump administration plans to send between 2,500 and 3,000 active-duty troops and 20-ton armored Stryker combat vehicles down south in another move to further militarize the U.S.-Mexico border. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has come under fire for claiming women shouldn’t serve in combat roles, ordered the soldiers to “reinforce and expand” current operations to “seal the border” and protect the country’s “territorial integrity.” Most troops are from Fort Carson, Colo., and will be deployed in the coming weeks. Earlier this week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said apprehensions had hit a 15-year low in “another sign the President Trump’s commonsense immigration and border security policies are working.” Despite the recent drop in border crossings, the administration wants “100 percent” operational control of the region. Stryker vehicles carry up to 11 soldiers and often come with machine guns and grenade launchers. They’re typically used in violent combat in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The Senate confirmed Hegseth in January despite allegations of sexual assault, alcoholism, and association with neo-Nazi groups. He’s promised to unravel diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the military and bring a “warrior culture” to the armed forces.
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