Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit the southern border Monday for the first time since taking his post.

His visit comes as encounters with immigrants at the southern border have decreased by 93%, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. On Sunday, Noem made her first visit to the border since her confirmation.

Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the U.S. Army deployed 1,000 troops while the Marines deployed 500. More are expected to deploy to the area. Before Trump took office, there were 2,500 active-duty U.S. forces stationed at the border.

“POTUS wants 100% operational control of the border — and we will deliver,” Hegseth wrote on X. “BORDER SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY.”

Hegseth will also pay a visit to Fort Bliss, the 1.12-million-acre Army base on the border of New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Some 90,000 soldiers, including their families, live there.

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The new defense secretary has voiced his support for Trump’s immigration policies. Hegseth agreed with the president’s plan to house criminal illegal immigrants in Guantanamo Bay, calling it “the perfect place.” Hegseth served a year at Guantanamo Bay with the Army guarding detainees.

Senators voted on a narrow confirmation for Hegseth that required Vice President JD Vance to be the tiebreaker.