This story has been updated to reflect the White House’s clarification on the timing of Mr. Trump’s executive order.

President Trump will send 1,500 troops to the border as an initial step to carry out his executive order asking the military to play a larger role in border security, the White House said Wednesday.

“The American people have been waiting for such a time as this for our Department of Defense to actually take homeland security seriously. This is a number one priority of the American people,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

Mr. Trump signed an executive order on the military and its role at the border on Monday.

Critics have questioned the role that the troops will play in law enforcement actions, saying they are not trained for that mission.

Trump administration officials said the president would be ordering the Pentagon to prioritize the border as a national security mission and include it in Defense Department strategic planning.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at <a href="mailto:sdinan@washingtontimes.com">sdinan@washingtontimes.com</a>. • Mallory Wilson can be reached at <a href="mailto:mwilson@washingtontimes.com">mwilson@washingtontimes.com</a>.

President Trump on Wednesday signed an order sending 1,500 more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, marking the start of what could become the largest military action in the southwest in more than a century.{ai:summary}President Trump announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the border as part of his executive order aimed at enhancing military involvement in border security. The White House emphasized that this move aligns with the priorities of the American people regarding homeland security.Critics have raised concerns about the appropriateness of military personnel in law enforcement roles, citing their lack of training for such missions. The administration insists that the Pentagon will treat border security as a national security mission moving forward. #illegals

Trump orders 1,500 troops to border

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