Washington: In a move to check entry of COVID-19 positive persons from Mexico, the US military is deploying an additional 540 troops along the US-Mexico border to assist Border Patrol agents handling migrants, US Northern Command announced on April 1.

There are roughly 5,000 US troops on the US-Mexico border assisting the Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection.

As the US deploys troops, hospital ships and other military assets across the US to combat the rapidly spreading COVID-19, Gen Terrance O’Shaughnessy, the commander of US NORTHCOM told reporters that there was also an “increased demand signal” for support to help secure the southern border over COVID-19 concerns.

Lt Gen Laura Richardson, the commander of US Army North, said that the additional 540 US troops would help Border Patrol with newly granted authorities.

Those new authorities allow Border Patrol agents to apprehend and immediately return migrants potentially infected with COVID-19.

Richardson said the increase in support to the border was specially related to COVID-19 concerns.