Marines Deployed by Trump Administration to Install Border Wire Gradually Leave San Diego Area

Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of hundreds of active-duty service members to the U.S.-Mexico border to curb illegal crossings.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border and directed the Department of Defense to assist. In the months that followed, hundreds of troops were sent to reinforce border security efforts, including helping construct barriers.

But according to a Border Report investigation, 10 months after Trump's order, troops have begun withdrawing from the area. Active-duty Marines were among more than 8,000 military personnel deployed, with many stationed in San Diego, California.

Their mission, according to Border Report, was to "bolster agents patrolling the border by providing logistical support," with explicit orders not to engage migrants or carry out apprehensions. Instead, they focused on installing concertina wire along border fencing to prevent crossings.

Under federal law, active-duty military personnel are prohibited from conducting domestic law enforcement. Those troops deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border engaged in various support roles, such as logistics, barrier construction, surveillance, and data operations, in coordination with border agents.

After completing wire installation from the Pacific coastline to the mountains of San Diego County, a Marine Corps spokesperson told Border Report the Marines had concluded their mission and returned to Camp Pendleton. The spokesperson did not specify when or why they left.

Residents in Campo, a community along the U.S.-Mexico border, told Border Report that Marines have not been seen in weeks. An agent at the Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station said the Marines left about a month ago.

The Border Report investigation also noted that California sued the federal government in June over the deployment of the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles. Roughly 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops were sent on June 9 to protect federal property and personnel during protests over immigration raids.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the deployment an "illegal act" that "sowed more division." The lawsuit argued that using troops for civilian law enforcement violated the Constitution and risked setting a dangerous precedent for domestic military use.

A federal judge ruled in California's favor in September, granting a permanent injunction against the deployment. It remains unclear, however, whether that ruling prompted the Marines' withdrawal from San Diego, Border Report said.