President Donald Trump authorized the military to occupy public land spanning three border states in a bid to advance his administration’s crackdown on illegal border crossings.
The White House issued a memorandum from the president on Friday ordering public land including the Roosevelt Reservation, which includes parts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, bordering Mexico, be provided “for the use and jurisdiction by the Department of Defense.” The order excludes any Indian reservations and allows for “border-barrier construction and emplacement of detection and monitoring equipment.”
“As the Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, the United States Constitution empowers me to direct the various elements of the executive branch to protect our homeland and ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the United States in the manner I deem most efficient and effective, consistent with applicable law,” Trump said in the order.
“Our southern border is under attack from a variety of threats. The complexity of the current situation requires that our military take a more direct role in securing our southern border than in the recent past,” he added.
The memo was sent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The latest order from the president continues his administration’s sweeping efforts to combat illegal immigration through deterrence, border security, and deportations.
The Trump administration has touted improved numbers on illegal immigration, with illegal border crossings in February dropping to the lowest on record.
FEDERAL JUDGE ALLOWS IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN RELIGIOUS SPACES
Trump’s order authorizing the “Military Mission for Sealing the Southern Border of the United States and Repelling Invasions” came on the same day a federal judge allowed his administration to proceed with its rescinding of a Biden-era DHS policy prohibiting immigration enforcement activities at “sensitive locations,” including places of worship.
Other forms of combatting illegal immigration from within the U.S. borders by the Trump administration have included partnerships with the IRS and Social Security Administration for information sharing.
