Trump hands over control of lands near border with Mexico to Pentagon
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to expand control over federal lands near the US-Mexico border. He aims to intensify efforts to combat illegal immigration, reports Bloomberg.
In a memorandum published Friday evening, Trump instructed several Cabinet members to transfer jurisdiction over federal lands along the border to the Department of Defense. These lands include the Roosevelt Reservation - a narrow strip of land along the southwestern border in Arizona, New Mexico, and California - excluding federal Native American reservations.
According to the directive, this opens the possibility for military operations, as specified in this memorandum at military facilities along the border. Trump has authorized the military to carry out tasks, including the construction of border barriers and the deployment of detection and monitoring equipment, as well as to designate these areas as national defense zones.
The order also allows the Secretary of Defense to exclude individuals from the military facility area under existing authorities, potentially paving the way for the expulsion of migrants.
Initially, these powers will be implemented in a limited sector of federal lands, with further evaluation to take place 45 days after Friday’s order.
Bloomberg notes that since returning to the White House, Trump has ramped up the deportation of illegal migrants, aiming to fulfill his campaign promises on tackling illegal immigration and securing the southwestern border.
Reuters recently reported that the Trump administration is rolling out a large-scale policy of fines for migrants who fail to leave the country after a court ruling. The daily fines will amount to about $1,000.
