Pentagon to send 1,100 more troops to Mexico border to help with logistics, support

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. military will deploy an additional 1,140 troops to the United States' border with Mexico to help with logistics and support, the military said on Friday, the latest move by President Donald Trump's administration to use the military to help carry out his immigration agenda.

The latest deployments, which include units from Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia, will bring the number of active-duty troops on the border to about 4,200.

"The (Department of Defense) continues to work with the Department of Homeland Security to fill critical capabilities gaps at the southern border," a military statement said.

One official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the troops would be going to Fort Huachuca in Arizona.

On Thursday, Homeland Security said the number of migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in February is on pace to be at or near a record monthly low.

Trump has increasingly turned to the military, including sending additional troops to the border, using military aircraft to fly migrants out of the United States, and opening military bases to help house them.

Reuters has previously reported there had been informal discussions about sending as many as 10,000 troops to the border over time, though a final figure had not been determined and troop numbers would depend on several factors, including impact on military readiness.