A U.S. Army soldier conducts overwatch of the southern border at Santa Teresa, N.M., on March 26, 2025. (Griffin Payne/U.S. Army)
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) — President Donald Trump issued a directive expanding military control over federal lands near the U.S.-Mexico border, seeking to bolster his efforts to crack down on undocumented migration.
In a memorandum released Friday evening, Trump ordered several Cabinet secretaries to give the Defense Department jurisdiction over federal lands along the border. Those areas include the Roosevelt Reservation — a narrow strip of land along the southwest border in the states of Arizona, New Mexico and California — but exclude federal Indian reservations.
It opens the door to “enable military activities directed in this memorandum to occur on a military installation” along the border, according to the directive. Trump authorized the military to undertake tasks “including border-barrier construction and emplacement of detection and monitoring equipment” and to designate the areas as “National Defense Areas.”
The order also allows the Secretary of Defense to “exclude persons from a military installation” in keeping with previous authorities — a power that potentially tees up powers to expel migrants.
The powers will initially be implemented on a “limited sector of federal lands,” with an assessment after 45 days of the Friday order.
Trump has escalated deportations of undocumented migrants since retaking office, as he looks to deliver on his campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration and secure the southern border.
©2025 Bloomberg LP
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
