The Defense Department (DOD) is starting a voluntary program for its civilian employees to go to the southern border to support Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts there.
The agency released a memo Monday authorizing its civilian employees to volunteer to travel and support border operations.
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A U.S. Border Patrol agent watches as immigrants prepare to board a bus after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, Jan. 7, 2024. The Defense Department is creating a program to allow its civilian workforce to volunteer to go to the southern border to support operations there. (John Moore/Getty Images)
"Protecting our homeland from bad actors and illegal substances has been a focus of the President and of the Secretary of Defense since Day One of this Administration," said Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson. "Whether on the border or in our communities, allowing qualified DoD civilian employees to support DHS will accelerate the progress already made by Service members in achieving our national security goals."
This voluntary program was at the request of DHS, a U.S. official told Fox News.
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A U.S. Border Patrol agent stands on a cliff looking for migrants that crossed the southern border near Sasabe, Ariz., Jan. 23, 2022. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
It was not clear how many DOD civilian employees are expected to volunteer or what kind of work they will do. Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOD and DHS.
The memo, authored by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reads, "Detail assignments may be either reimbursable or non-reimbursable.
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A Border Patrol agent on horseback monitors the area near where the U.S.-Mexico border fence meets the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 7, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
"Non-reimbursable details are authorized where the expected benefit of a detail would be comparable to training or development programs that otherwise would be conducted at a DoD Component's expense."
News of the voluntary program comes as the Trump administration continues to crack down on illegal immigration and target criminal illegal immigrants for deportation.