Trump plans to send at least 800 troops to the US-Mexico border

The Trump administration plans to send 800 additional troops to the border under the leadership of a president who said that illegal immigration was a "national emergency" and raised fears about it before the imminent arrival of its goals as he did before election.

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis is expected to sign an order on Thursday, sending 800 or more troops to the southern border to support the border patrol, according to a US official. The grievor was not allowed to speak in public because the details had not yet been finalized and were anonymized.

This order comes as thousands of Central American migrants continue their caravan through Mexico towards the hoped-for, but still very distant, United States border. Earlier on Thursday, Trump had tweeted that he was "taking out the army" to arrest those who were trying to enter the country and blamed Democrats for existing laws.

Additional troops must provide the Border Patrol with what one of the officials described as logistical support, particularly in the form of vehicles, tents and equipment. There are already about 2,000 National Guard soldiers badisting at the border under a previous agreement with the Pentagon. But the new troops would be active service troops, not national guards, said a US official.

Trump, who was elected by stirring up the fear of immigrants, is eager to make immigration one of the most important issues in the run-up to next month's mid-term elections, which will determine which party will control the Congress. Trump and senior White House officials have long believed that the issue is essential to make the base of his supporters a strong advocate. And Trump, at gatherings and on Twitter, tried to portray the Democrats as illegal immigration, even claiming, without any proof, that the Democrats had organized and paid for the caravan, which remains more than 1,000 km from the US border.

The sprawling caravan of migrants, estimated by the UN to more than 7,000 people, hopes to reach the United States. Most are Hondurans seeking to escape poverty and violence in the region.

The caravan swelled considerably soon after crossing the Mexican border on October 19, but illness, fear and harbadment from the police reduced its number. Since entering Mexico at its southern end, the group has traveled about 95 miles.

Earlier this year, Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard members to the US-Mexico border to respond to an outbreak of illegal border crossing. But these members remain under the control of the governors of the states where they are and their activities are limited to supporting roles, such as surveillance.

Federal law prohibits the use of active duty members for law enforcement in the United States unless specifically authorized by Congress.

Trump had tweeted Monday that he had alerted border patrols and the military about the fact that the caravan was "a national emergence," but the Pentagon then announced that they would receive no new orders to provide troops for border security.

But Trump said Wednesday at a gathering in Wisconsin that moves were underway.

"Expect to see what happens in the next two weeks. You will see a very secure border. You just watched, he said to the crowd. "And the army is ready. They are all ready. "