U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's first trip since taking office will be to the United States' border with Mexico on Monday, in the latest sign that fortifying the border will be a priority for the Pentagon under President Donald Trump.

Pete Hegseth's visit comes as encounters with immigrants at the southern border have decreased by 93%, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Pete Hegseth has vowed to bring his “warrior” ethos to the Pentagon. Democrats had assailed him as unfit for the job, and his confirmation came down to Vice President JD Vance serving as tiebreaker.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will be visiting troops in El Paso, according to a post by Hegseth on X. Hegseth announced his visit to the southern border, along with Joint Task Force North, a joint service command comprised of active-duty and reserve soldiers based in Fort Bliss.

Fort Bliss said Hegseth will host a media event and is here to “see the efforts military men and women are undertaking in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection activities to secure the southern border.