Hegseth, who traveled with White House border czar Tom Homan in his first trip since taking office, first stopped at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, to meet with troops tasked with fortifying the southern border — a priority for the Pentagon under President Trump.
While there, Hegseth was briefed by U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command leaders on homeland defense and security priorities at the border, according to an update on the trip posted to X.
Speaking to reporters while on the ground, Hegseth pledged "100 percent operational control of the border," with the surging of manpower and assets to the area.
"Any assets necessary at the Defense Department to support the expulsion and detention of those in the country illegally are on the table," he said.
Since beginning his second term, Trump has declared a national emergency at the southern border and signed a slew of executive orders intended to crack down on immigration. As part of the effort, he has turned to the military to beef up security at the border, fly migrants out of the United States and house them at bases.
Trump has already ordered 1,500 active-duty troops to the border to survey the area and assist law enforcement with logistics and fencing, and Hegseth over the weekend approved another 500 to be sent. The additional troops, who will begin to make their way there this week, join the 2,500 service members who were already at the border prior to the new Trump administration, bringing the total force number to 4,500.
Hegseth said that the thousands of extra troops will help free up overwhelmed Customs and Border Protection agents who are there to fight an "invasion."
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
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