Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made his first official visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, accompanied by Border Czar Tom Homan, as part of the Trump administration's heightened focus on border security.
• President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, increasing active-duty troop deployments from 2,500 to over 4,500 to support Customs and Border Protection operations.
• Hegseth emphasized achieving '100 percent operational control' of the border and outlined the military's role in surveillance, logistics, and physical barrier construction.
• The administration is considering invoking the Insurrection Act to expand military authority, potentially allowing soldiers to arrest migrants, a move criticized by Democratic lawmakers over training concerns.
• A recent agreement between Trump and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo included Mexico deploying 10,000 National Guard troops to its northern border and the U.S. addressing arms trafficking into Mexico.