Washington (CNN) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said Monday that the US military will not be "involved in the actual mission of denying people entry to the United States."

When asked about the border mission for active-duty troops, Dunford said the military will not be coming into contact with migrants traveling toward the border.

"There is no plan for US military forces to be involved in the actual mission of denying people entry to the United States," Dunford said, speaking at an event at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. "There is no plan for soldiers to come in contact with immigrants or to reinforce Department of Homeland Security as they're conducting their mission."

"We are providing enabling capabilities," Dunford said, explaining they were tasked with supporting the DHS.

Just before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump ordered thousands of troops to the southern border to guard against what he has called an "invasion" by a group of migrants heading north through Mexico to the United States.

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