In brief
A recent announcement by the Department of Interior has designated a new militarized zone along California's border with Mexico, transferring jurisdiction to the Navy. This zone adds to a series of militarized borders previously established in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona, in response to concerns over illegal immigration and border security. While this move aims to bolster national defense, it has drawn criticism and raised legal concerns regarding military law enforcement on U.S. soil.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Trump administration is adding another militarized zone to the southern U.S. border to support border security operations — this time in California.
The Department of Interior on Wednesday said it would transfer jurisdiction along most of California’s international border with Mexico to the Navy to reinforce 'the historic role public lands have played in safeguarding national sovereignty.'
The newly designated militarized zone extends nearly from the Arizona state line to the Otay Mountain Wilderness, traversing the Imperial Valley and border communities including Tecate.
Since April, large swaths of border have been designated militarized zones, empowering U.S. troops to apprehend immigrants and others accused of trespassing on Army, Air Force, or Navy bases, and authorizing additional criminal charges that can mean prison time. More than 7,000 troops have been deployed to the border, along with an assortment of helicopters, drones, and surveillance equipment.
The military strategy was pioneered in April along a 170-mile (275-kilometer) stretch of the border in New Mexico and later expanded to portions of the border in Texas and Arizona.
The Interior Department described the newest national defense area in California as a high-traffic zone for unlawful crossings by immigrants. However, Border Patrol arrests along the southern U.S. border this year have dropped to the slowest pace since the 1960s, amid President Trump’s push for mass deportations.
“By working with the Navy to close long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening national defense, protecting our public lands from unlawful use, and advancing the President’s agenda,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a news release.
Despite these measures, legal experts warn that this approach conflicts with a ban on law enforcement by the military on U.S. soil and brings the armed forces into a possibly politicized role regarding immigration enforcement.
The new militarized zone was announced as a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop deploying the California National Guard in Los Angeles and return control of those troops to the state, which had not approved their mobilization.
