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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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The United States military has been granted the authority to detain and search undocumented migrants in New Mexico amid the Trump administration's efforts to clamp down on immigration.
U.S. Northern Command announced on Monday that service members with the Joint Task Force-Southern Border were now authorized to implement various measures within the New Mexico National Defense Area, which is part of the U.S. Army's Fort Huachuca military installation.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has deployed the miliary to support his administration's effort to "seal the border." On April 11, the president issued a directive that effectively transferred control of the Roosevelt Reservation area from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Defense.
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The DOD has since announced that the 60-foot-wide strip of land in New Mexico along the U.S.-Mexico border has been designated as part of Arizona's Fort Huachuca. This reclassification grants the Army's U.S. Northern Command expanded authority to enforce immigration laws on military-controlled land.
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What To Know
The move empowers the U.S. military to take on an expanded role in domestic law enforcement.
The military is now authorized to search and temporarily detain individuals who trespass on the New Mexico National Defense Area, provide medical assistance and implement crowd control measures until law enforcement arrives to take them into custody.
Additionally, task force members may assist with setting up temporary barriers, signage and fencing when requested.
Last week, the Department of the Interior announced that land would be transferred to the Army, allowing the military would take control of almost 110,000 acres of federal land to support Border Patrol for a period of three years.
For decades, laws have intentionally limited military involvement in civilian affairs to prevent the militarization of policing and protect constitutional rights. Granting the military authority to engage in activities such as searches, seizures and detentions represents a significant shift.
What People Are Saying
General Gregory Guillot, USNORTHCOM commander, said in a news release issued April 21: "Through these enhanced authorities, U.S. Northern Command will ensure those who illegally trespass in the New Mexico National Defense Area are handed over to Customs and Border Protection or our other law enforcement partners. Joint Task Force-Southern Border will conduct enhanced detection and monitoring, which will include vehicle and foot patrols, rotary wing, and fixed surveillance site operations."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on April 15: "Last week, President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum directing federal agencies administering federal land on the border to make land available to the Defense Department in a new national defense area. … This new national defense area spans more than 170 miles across our border in New Mexico. But in the coming weeks, this administration will add more than 90 miles in the state of Texas."
What Happens Next
The military presence at the southern border is expected to expand further in the coming months as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to secure the border.
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