Donald Trump has said he will send up to 15,000 troops to the US border with Mexico over a migrant 'caravan' travelling to the US.
An estimated 4,000 people - mostly from Honduras - are marching through Mexico towards the US.
Numbers in the caravan are said to have dwindled compared to the 5,000 figure reported around a week ago.
While the group is still around around 1,500 kilometres away from the American border, the issue has been heavily politicised in the US ahead of next week's mid-term elections.
The Trump administration has already deployed around 5,000 military personnel to the border in advance of the caravan's arrival.
Democrats have largely stayed quiet on the subject, but other commentators have argued that the issue is being exaggerated for political purposes.
Shep Smith on the migrant caravan: "There is no invasion. No one is coming to get you. There is nothing at all to worry about." pic.twitter.com/4dLmPuZem0
— Jon Passantino (@passantino) October 29, 2018
Speaking to reporters, the US President claimed he was not 'fearmongering' over immigration.
He said: "As far as the caravan, which is very dangerous - you see what’s been happening - as far as the caravan is concerned, our military is out.
"We have about 5,800. We’ll go up anywhere between 10,000 and 15,000 military personnel, on top of Border Patrol, ICE, and everybody else at the border. Nobody is coming in."
He added: "I want people to come into our country, but they have to come in legally and they have to come through merit."
He also repeated his threat to cut off aid to countries such as El Salvador over migration, amid reports that a second caravan had also passed into Mexican territory.
Trump has previously claimed, without providing evidence, that "unknown Middle Easterners" are among those in the group - although later admitted there was "no proof" to support his claim.
Our military is being mobilized at the Southern Border. Many more troops coming. We will NOT let these Caravans, which are also made up of some very bad thugs and gang members, into the U.S. Our Border is sacred, must come in legally. TURN AROUND!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2018
