US to Send Between 2,000 and 4,000 National Guard Troops to Southern Border

"Anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000," Trump said on Thursday when asked how many National Guard troops will send to the US border with Mexico.

Trump added that he may keep a large number of troops there until a border wall is built.

On Wednesday, Trump issued a memorandum directing the Pentagon to support the Department of Homeland Security to secure the US border with Mexico with the assistance of the National Guard.

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National Guard troops are elements of the military that respond primarily to domestic emergencies. Although their primary area of responsibility is their home state, they have been called up for overseas missions including in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition to the governors of each US state, the president of the United States is permitted by law to mobilize these forces if the conditions warrant such determination.

On Wednesday, the Customs and Border Protection agency reported that US law enforcement apprehended in March more than 37,000 migrants who were attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. This figure was double the number of migrants who were apprehended in January, according to the Customs and Border Protection agency.