The United States Coast Guard “immediately” began deploying more assets to deter illegal immigration following multiple immigration-related executive orders signed by President Donald Trump within hours of taking office.
After Trump fired Coast Guard Adm. Linda L. Fagan for her “failure to address border security threats,” her replacement announced that the Coast Guard would be taking swift action to implement Trump’s executive orders.
It’s now confirmed what we all suspected: the Coast Guard was told to stand down and not protect our shores from illegal boats carrying illegal aliens. The Commandant of the Coast Guard has been FIRED by Trump. https://t.co/FVP09A8wSg
— Amy Reichert (@amyforsandiego) January 21, 2025
Coast Guard Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday made the announcement in a statement issued on January 21.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is the world’s premiere maritime law enforcement agency, vital to protecting America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Lunday explained. “Per the President’s Executive Orders, I have directed my operational commanders to immediately surge assets — cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces — to increase Coast Guard presence and focus.”
He went on to list six “key areas” where the Coast Guard plans to deploy additional assets to implement Trump’s planned border security measures. In the statement, Lunday also acknowledged Trump’s plans to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on all federal maps and communications.
The United States Coast Guard has begun to use the designation "Gulf of America" for the body of water formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico before President Trump changed the name via executive order.
This from a Coast Guard press release yesterday.
. pic.twitter.com/nrpVxmyNZt— Paul Villarreal (AKA Vince Manfeld) (@AureliusStoic1) January 22, 2025
The Coast Guard’s areas of focus include: “The southeast U.S. border approaching Florida to deter and prevent a maritime mass migration from Haiti and/or Cuba; The maritime border around Alaska, Hawai’i, the U.S. territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; The maritime border between the Bahamas and south Florida; The southwest maritime border between the U.S. and Mexico in the Pacific; The maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America; and Support to Customs and Border Protection on maritime portions of the southwest U.S. border.”
“Together, in coordination with our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense teammates, we will detect, deter and interdict illegal migration, drug smuggling and other terrorist or hostile activity before it reaches our border,” the statement continued.
🚨 #BREAKING: Following President Trump’s executive orders, the Coast Guard will be surging aircraft, cutters, and specialized forces to the SE border around Florida
This is to quell mass illegal immigration from Haiti and Cuba
President Trump has made HUGE power moves in the… pic.twitter.com/shMaNJ3qfZ
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 22, 2025
This news comes after Trump signed numerous immigration-related executive orders on the evening of January 20, including declaring a national emergency at the southern border, reinstating the “remain in Mexico” policy, shutting down the illegal CBP One app that allowed illegal aliens to make appointments to enter the country by claiming asylum, and ending birthright citizenship.
