Hegseth declares ‘new era’ under Trump in visit to southern border in Texas

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday visited the southern border, declaring a “new era of determination” as the Trump administration doubles down on its efforts to secure the border and stop illegal immigration.

“Because of President Donald Trump, this is a new era at the southern border, a new era of determination, a new era of cooperation. And at the Defense Department, we are proud to be a part of it,” Hegseth told reporters at a press conference in El Paso, Texas after Hegseth had toured the border.

Hegseth emphasized that, rather than focusing on foreign territory, the administration wanted to focus first on U.S. sovereignty.

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“Guys and gals of my generation have spent decades in foreign countries guarding other people’s borders. It’s about time we secure our own border,” he said.

Trump deployed the U.S. military to the border on his first day in office, with over 1,500 troops joining forces already there. It’s part of a blitz that has correlated with a sharp drop in encounters at the southern border. 

Hegseth said the men and women dispatched to the border are excited to be there.

“They’re motivated to be here because they’re defending their friends, their family, their communities, their church, their schools, their loved ones from an invasion of people whose intentions we don’t know,” he said.  “We are going to get control of this border.”

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Hegseth’s visit to the southern border is the latest migration-focused trip by a Trump Cabinet official.

His trip comes after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was at the southern border in Del Rio, Texas on Saturday. She said she was there to see “firsthand what’s happening and how we can best support our Border Patrol agents.”

“Under President [Trump] the days of open borders are over,” she said.

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Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had a migration-packed first week in office, left Saturday for his first overseas trip to Latin America.

His visit includes trips to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. He is expected to return Thursday, and issues including migration, drug trafficking and gang violence are expected to be at the top of his agenda.

Hegseth spoke alongside border czar Tom Homan, who said what was occurring with the use of the military and other government agencies to facilitate security and deportations is a “game changer.”

“We will finally succeed and have an operational control of our southern border with this president in charge,” he said.