National Guard Troops Deployed to Southern Border

President says he’ll keep military on the border until the wall is built

Members of the Arizona National Guard at the Papago Park Military Reservation in Phoenix on April 9. Arizona deployed its first 348 National Guard members to the Mexican border by April 10, after President Donald Trump ordered troops to boost border security. CAITLIN O'HARA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

WASHINGTON—The National Guard has started deploying troops to bolster Homeland Security efforts along the southwest border.

Illegal border crossings spiked in March, reaching 50,308 apprehensions—up 37 percent from February and more than triple from the same period last year. Last year’s historic lows have been mostly attributed to the so-called “Trump effect” that saw huge decreases for five months following Inauguration Day.