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President Trump told reporters Wednesday that up to 15,000 U.S. troops could deploy to the southern border, which would be more than the total U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

As of Wednesday evening, U.S. Northern Command had tasked roughly 7,000 active-duty troops to prevent thousands of Central American asylum seekers from crossing into the United States from Mexico. They will join 2,092 National Guardsmen who are already at the border.

Speaking on the White House lawn, Trump told reporters that the total number of U.S. military personnel who will assist civil authorities on the border could go even higher.

“We'll go up to anywhere between 10,000 and 15,000 military personnel on top of border patrol, ICE, and everybody else at the border,” Trump said. “Nobody's coming in. We're not allowing people to come in.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu4RxBFjBIs

Defense officials referred questions about Trump’s remarks to the White House, which did not provide a comment for this story.

NORTHCOM issued a press release on Wednesday identifying which active duty units will be part of Operation Faithful Patriot along the southern border.

From Fort Bragg, North Carolina

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Command
  • 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command
    2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion
  • 82nd Airborne Division; Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • 16th Military Police Brigade
  • 51st Medical Company, 28th Combat Support Hospital
    172nd Preventive Medicine
  • 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
  • 329th Movement Control Team
  • 403rd Inland Cargo Transfer Company
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 503rd Military Police Battalion

From Fort Carson, Colorado

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division

From Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado

  • Joint Enabling Capability Team and Aviation Planner from U.S. Northern Command

From Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

  • Joint Public Support Element — Public Affairs

From Fort Meade, Maryland

  • 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera)

From Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

  • 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Division
  • 90th Human Resources Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade

From Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas

  • Defense Logistics Agency Contingency Contracting Team
  • 4th Expeditionary Sustainment Command Assessment Team

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 505th Military Intelligence Brigade

From Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

  • 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, I Corps
  • 87th Engineer Sapper Company, 555th Engineer Brigade

From Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina

  • 1st Combat Camera Squadron

From Fort Bliss, Texas

  • 24th Press Camp Headquarters, 1st Armored Division

From Fort Hood, Texas

  • 89th Military Police Brigade, III Corps
  • Headquarters, 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade
  • 937th Engineer Sapper Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade
  • 104th Engineer Construction, 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade
  • 289th Quartermaster Company, 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Calvary Division Sustainment Brigade

From Fort Knox, Kentucky

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 19th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade
  • 15th Engineer Company (Horizontal) 19th Engineer Battalion
  • 541st Engineer Sapper Company, 19th Engineer Battalion

From Fort Campbell, Kentucky

  • 887th Engineer Support Company, 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade
  • 372nd Inland Cargo Transfer Company, 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade

From Fort Riley Kansas

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 97th Military Police Battalion, 1st Infantry Divsion
  • 977th Military Police Company Combat Support
  • 287th Military Policy Company Combat Support
  • 41st Engineer Company (Clearance), 4th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade

Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Secretary James Mattis was asked how he responds to critics of the Trump administration, who claim the deployment of troops to the border is a political stunt.

“The support that we provide to the secretary for homeland security is practical support based on the request from the commissioner of customs and border police, so we don't do stunts in this department,” Mattis replied.

SEE ALSO: Advice For US Troops Sent To The Mexican Border In An Age Of Terrible Leaders

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