US President Donald Trump on Friday authorized the US military to take charge of a strip of public land along the southern border, citing the need for stronger security in the face of various threats.
In his justification, the president stated that the complexity of the current border situation requires a more direct role from the military in securing the southern border than in previous years. The memorandum released by the White House orders the Secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security to transfer jurisdiction of federal lands along the border to the Department of Defense.
The order outlines that the military will be responsible for constructing a border wall and deploying detection and monitoring equipment. However, the military’s mandate is intentionally broad, defined as activities deemed "reasonably necessary and appropriate to accomplish the mission."
The memorandum specifically mentions the Roosevelt Reservation, which runs through California, Arizona, and New Mexico. It directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to begin with phased military implementation on specific sections of public land, but he has the authority to extend operations to other areas of public land along the border.
This move comes as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reported during a cabinet meeting that illegal border crossings had decreased significantly, with February marking a second consecutive month of record low encounters at the southern border.
President Trump, since taking office, has made border security a priority. His administration quickly implemented a series of executive actions aimed at reforming immigration and border enforcement policies. One of the first actions he took was declaring a national emergency at the southern border on his first day in office. Additionally, government data from March indicated a sharp decline in illegal border crossings, reaching the lowest levels in at least 25 years during his first full month in office.
In his justification, the president stated that the complexity of the current border situation requires a more direct role from the military in securing the southern border than in previous years. The memorandum released by the White House orders the Secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security to transfer jurisdiction of federal lands along the border to the Department of Defense.
The order outlines that the military will be responsible for constructing a border wall and deploying detection and monitoring equipment. However, the military’s mandate is intentionally broad, defined as activities deemed "reasonably necessary and appropriate to accomplish the mission."
🚨President Trump just authorized the Dept of Defense to militarize the “Roosevelt Reservation” along the US border in CA, AZ, and NM
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) April 11, 2025
This means the 60 foot buffer zone on a 700 mile stretch of our border will now be considered military property and troops can seize illegals to… pic.twitter.com/9MrRq9iMYT
The memorandum specifically mentions the Roosevelt Reservation, which runs through California, Arizona, and New Mexico. It directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to begin with phased military implementation on specific sections of public land, but he has the authority to extend operations to other areas of public land along the border.
This move comes as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reported during a cabinet meeting that illegal border crossings had decreased significantly, with February marking a second consecutive month of record low encounters at the southern border.
President Trump, since taking office, has made border security a priority. His administration quickly implemented a series of executive actions aimed at reforming immigration and border enforcement policies. One of the first actions he took was declaring a national emergency at the southern border on his first day in office. Additionally, government data from March indicated a sharp decline in illegal border crossings, reaching the lowest levels in at least 25 years during his first full month in office.
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