Border Security Becomes Top Priority as DoD Leadership Shifts Under New Administration

Micah Hanks·

pentagon

Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… newly inaugurated President Donald Trump wasted no time in Washington this week, getting right to work on several consequential campaign promises that are providing an early indication of how the objectives of the new administration will impact national defense. In our analysis, we’ll be looking at 1) the U.S. military’s response to an executive order that focuses on securing the U.S. southern border, 2) controversy surrounding rushed security clearances and DoD hiring-freeze exemptions, and 3) what the likely focus of the Pentagon will be as it emerges from its current transitional period.

Quote of the Week

“This is just the beginning.”

– Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses

RECENT NEWS from The Debrief

The U.S. Defense Department Transitions Under New White House Leadership

It’s been a highly stimulating last few days for Americans, with an Inauguration Day ceremony capturing our attention on Monday that was held amid frigid and potentially life-threatening temperatures enveloping large portions of the country.

This, of course, following news over the weekend that included the latest yarn involving a professed government whistleblower on UAP, promises that a new batch of JFK files would soon be released, and firefighters in California continuing to combat wildfires that have endangered countless residents and infrastructure in the greater Los Angeles area (click here to learn how you can help those who have been affected).

During these times of great change and confusion, much of America’s focus has remained on Washington, where in the first days of Donald Trump’s return to office, several developments are giving early indications of what the U.S. Department of Defense’s focus will be in the years to come.

Trump Orders NORTHCOM to Secure U.S.-Mexico Border Amid Sweeping Immigration Crackdown

Almost immediately following Monday’s inauguration, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to secure America’s southern border.

The move sees the early fulfillment of a core campaign promise Trump made to curb illegal immigration and strengthen national security. Trump’s executive order tasks the defense secretary to assign NORTHCOM with the mission, which will aim to reduce threats that include unlawful immigration and drug trafficking across the U.S. southern border.

Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses, who officially assumed the functions and duties of the office on January 20 pending Pete Hegseth’s approval as Trump’s new Secretary of Defense, has ten days to deliver a revised Unified Command Plan detailing NORTHCOM’s enhanced role. The directive also mandates the development of a level 3 contingency plan to address potential large-scale emergencies requiring significant coordination and resource deployment.

Pentagon Deploys Troops to Southern Border

In line with the executive order, the DoD has also announced on January 22 that it is deploying an additional 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, supplementing existing forces engaged in enforcement operations.

A Pentagon statement confirmed that these troops, along with air and intelligence assets, will help implement Trump’s immigration policies. Ultimately, troop deployments could reach as many as 10,000 personnel, the DoD has said.

“We anticipate that overall, on the southwest border, [active-duty personnel] will provide real-time situational awareness of persons, vehicles, vessels and aircraft; and they’ll work with [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] on operator-level maintenance, movement and staging of [CBP] assets,” a senior military official said on background on Wednesday.

Air Force to Conduct Deportation Flights

Among the U.S. forces being tasked with overseeing operations at the southern border, it was learned this week that the U.S. Air Force will also assist in deportation efforts, deploying C-17 and C-130 aircraft to remove 5,400 detained individuals.

Flights will reportedly leave from El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, with destinations determined by the State Department in collaboration with foreign governments, according to statements provided to Air & Space Forces Magazine this week.

“We also anticipate that there could be some additional airborne intelligence, surveillance and support assets that would move down to the border to increase situational awareness,” the senior military official who spoke on background on Wednesday said.

Exemptions to Federal Hiring Freeze at the Defense Department

While the U.S. military is following its orders to direct its attention toward the southern border, a government-wide hiring freeze announced by the Trump administration shortly after Monday’s inauguration will include exemptions for defense-related positions, including jobs related to immigration enforcement and public safety.

The Department of Defense has said that all 750,000 civilian jobs are excluded from the freeze, ensuring continued hiring in areas that are likely to remain critical, especially during the transitions occurring throughout government under the new administration.

Temporary Security Clearances Raise Concerns

It was also learned this week that in another unprecedented move, the Trump administration is granting temporary top-secret security clearances to White House staff, some of whom have reportedly not undergone standard background checks.

While some Senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee did say the found the moving alarming and displaying a lack of oversight, calling it a potential national security risk, many Republican lawmakers have downplayed the concerns, even as some acknowledged the unorthodoxy of the move.

In another shock move on Thursday, security protection for Trump’s former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, as well as former top aide Brian Hook, were revoked amid warnings from officials in the outgoing Biden administration that both men, as well as President Trump, remain under threat following aggressive actions that included a drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassim Suleimani in 2020.

Pentagon Leadership in Transition

As Trump’s administration continues to assemble itself, with positions that include Hegseth’s confirmation as Defense Secretary and Stephen Feinberg as Deputy Secretary still pending, several key Pentagon roles are currently being filled by acting officials.

Defense Scoop reported this week that such roles include Leslie Beavers as acting Chief Information Officer, while some, like Gurpreet Bhatia, temporarily hold dual roles—in Bhatia’s case, this comprises acting Deputy CIO for cybersecurity as well as Chief Information Security Officer.

Radha Plumb, who recently served as the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, will reportedly be succeeded by Principal Deputy CDAO Margie Palmieri, who will hold the position in an interim capacity.

If approved, Hegseth and Feinberg will likely determine the trajectory of the majority of these interim appointments.

Amid Changes, Trump’s Pentagon Will Shift Military Focus Toward China

Finally, the Trump administration announced in recent days that it has added Austin Dahmer and Alexander Velez-Green in senior defense advisory roles. Their selection emphasizes a strategic pivot toward countering growing security concerns associated with China.

Both men are known to be proponents of reducing the U.S. military presence in Europe and shifting resources toward concentrating on Chinese geopolitical ambitions. They are also closely aligned with Elbridge Colby, Trump’s nominee for undersecretary of defense for policy, whose confirmation would solidify this strategic realignment.

While much remains to be seen as the Pentagon responds to the new administration’s directives, such factors signal both a new direction for the U.S. military, and also highlight several lingering questions about the path our nation’s defense department will take as it proceeds under Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

That concludes this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief. You can read past editions of our newsletter at our website, or if you found this installment online, don’t forget to subscribe and get future email editions from us here. Also, if you have a tip or other information you’d like to send along directly to me, you can email me at micah [@] thedebrief [dot] org, or reach me on X: @MicahHanks.

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