U.S. military service members are set to begin a new phase of immigration enforcement at the southern border in support of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal crossings: surveillance.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week gave an order allowing troops assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border (JTF-SB) to begin conducting patrols, both on foot and aboard Stryker armored vehicles.

“Conducting patrols, either on foot or mounted, creates a more proactive and adaptable posture compared to static posts,” Army Maj. Jennifer L. Staton, a Defense Department spokesperson, said in the release. “The dynamic approach of patrolling allows service members to cover a larger area of the border, affording them dynamic observation across multiple angles and distances.”

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