Trump grants military authority over a section of federal land along the US southern border
This signifies a significant increase in the president's reliance on the military to advance his extensive immigration agenda.
TroibNews 
A 60-foot wide strip of land across three southwestern border states will come under the jurisdiction of the U.S. military to help deter illegal immigration, according to a statement from the White House on Friday.
President Donald Trump issued a memorandum that allows the military to temporarily control the Roosevelt Reservation, a corridor along the border in California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
This order empowers troops to detain individuals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. within this designated area, originally established by President Theodore Roosevelt for border security in 1907. Trump had previously authorized military involvement in this region during his initial term to support the construction of a wall aimed at preventing migrant crossings.
The memorandum signifies an escalation in the president's reliance on military resources to enforce his extensive immigration policies. While the extent of the administration's actions remains uncertain, this could further militarize the southwestern border.
“Our southern border is under attack from a variety of threats,” the memorandum indicated. “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.”
Experts in immigration, military, and legal matters have pointed out that Trump's strategy to militarize the border might pose legal challenges regarding potential violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law that generally restricts active-duty troops from being involved in domestic law enforcement.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, suggested that the administration seems to be searching for methods to navigate restrictions on the military's involvement in civilian border enforcement.
“Welp they’re doing the Roosevelt Reservation crazy strategy, giving the military ‘jurisdiction’ over a 60-foot-wide stretch of land from CA to AZ and then claim that migrants are being arrested for 'trespassing on military property' thus trying to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act,” Reichlin-Melnick stated in a post on X.
This action comes as Trump has asked the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security for recommendations by April 20 on the possible use of the Insurrection Act of 1807 to enhance his mass deportation efforts. This historic law would enable Trump to deploy additional U.S. military forces to the southern border and command troops to assist law enforcement with domestic policies.
However, illegal border crossings have decreased to record lows since Trump took office, with the administration reporting 7,200 migrant encounters in March, a significant drop from over 189,000 during the same month the previous year.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
President Donald Trump issued a memorandum that allows the military to temporarily control the Roosevelt Reservation, a corridor along the border in California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
This order empowers troops to detain individuals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. within this designated area, originally established by President Theodore Roosevelt for border security in 1907. Trump had previously authorized military involvement in this region during his initial term to support the construction of a wall aimed at preventing migrant crossings.
The memorandum signifies an escalation in the president's reliance on military resources to enforce his extensive immigration policies. While the extent of the administration's actions remains uncertain, this could further militarize the southwestern border.
“Our southern border is under attack from a variety of threats,” the memorandum indicated. “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.”
Experts in immigration, military, and legal matters have pointed out that Trump's strategy to militarize the border might pose legal challenges regarding potential violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law that generally restricts active-duty troops from being involved in domestic law enforcement.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, suggested that the administration seems to be searching for methods to navigate restrictions on the military's involvement in civilian border enforcement.
“Welp they’re doing the Roosevelt Reservation crazy strategy, giving the military ‘jurisdiction’ over a 60-foot-wide stretch of land from CA to AZ and then claim that migrants are being arrested for 'trespassing on military property' thus trying to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act,” Reichlin-Melnick stated in a post on X.
This action comes as Trump has asked the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security for recommendations by April 20 on the possible use of the Insurrection Act of 1807 to enhance his mass deportation efforts. This historic law would enable Trump to deploy additional U.S. military forces to the southern border and command troops to assist law enforcement with domestic policies.
However, illegal border crossings have decreased to record lows since Trump took office, with the administration reporting 7,200 migrant encounters in March, a significant drop from over 189,000 during the same month the previous year.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
