Hundreds of troops headed to US border to prepare for migrant caravan's arrival

A Thursday Fox News report said that hundreds of U.S. military troops are headed to the country's southern border in an effort to deal with the approaching migrant caravan.

CNN, along with The Associated Press and the Washington Post, also published similar reports.

What are the details?

According to reports, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to sign an order sending about 800 U.S. troops to the southern border.

This round of troops would be in addition to the 2,000 National Guardsmen stationed at the border under a previous Pentagon arrangement.

The order is reportedly being carried out as a migrant caravan of more than 7,000 people treks from Honduras to the U.S.-Mexico border.

President Donald Trump has said that the U.S. would cut foreign aid to the countries that have failed to stop the caravan, including Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

It is unclear at this time what the additional troops would do at the border, although Trump on Monday tweeted about closing the border.

"I am watching the Democrat party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault our country by Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S.," Trump wrote.

"In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught — and if unable to do so, I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!" he added.

I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018

....In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught - and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018

What will the extra troops do at the border?

CNN reported that the extra troops would likely assist U.S. Border Patrol and provide "fencing, wall materials, and other technical support at key points along the border where it is believed the migrants may try to cross."

CNN's report added that the troops "will also provide tents and medical care for border authorities in those areas."

"The troops retain the right of self-defense, but border patrol officers will still be the ones physically stopping illegal migration," the report noted.

You can read more about the migrant caravan here.

Hundreds of US troops heading to the border to deal with migrant caravan, official says https://t.co/obIyBbk4Df pic.twitter.com/cPO5oG2zy6

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 25, 2018