The Texas border city of El Paso has recently seen the arrival of hundreds of migrants who entered the United States; some did so legally, some did not.
On the other side of the border in Juarez, Mexico, an estimated 15,000 people are gathering, waiting for May 11.
That's when Customs and Border Protection officials can no longer expel undocumented migrants and deny asylum under the 2020 "Title 42" public health emergency because it is expiring.
The Department of Defense is doing its part to help, with 1,500 active-duty troops from the Army and Marine Corps being sent there.
"Cleary, DHS felt there was need for the Department of Defense to assist, so they can do their important work. Secretary Austin approved that request and so that's what we're focused on," said Brigadier General Pat Ryder.
He continued: "For 90 days, those 1,500 military personnel who will be sourced from the active duty component will fill critical capability gaps such as ground based detection and monitoring, data entry and warehouse support. "Military personnel will not participate directly in law enforcement activities."
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) says the crisis gets to the larger issue of the need for comprehensive immigration reform, including enhancing border security, and creating a path to citizenship.
"This is a challenging problem in a Congress that thus far has proven unwilling to act," he said.
Authorities encountered more than 2.76 million migrants
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics
crossing the border illegally last fiscal year, the largest number ever recorded.
The Pentagon has not said specifically what bases that the newly tasked troops are coming from.
They will join 2,500 National Guard troops already activated to assist law enforcement at the border.