The US military has established a 100km-long Texas National Defense Area, running east from the Texas-New Mexico border in El Paso, where troops can temporarily hold migrants or trespassers. This declaration follows a similar zone designated in New Mexico last month.
As President Donald Trump has aggressively pursued anti-immigration measures since taking office, increasing troops along the southern border and pledging to deport millions from the US, the military’s move is the latest in this crackdown. Some of those deported have been American-born children.
The US military announced on Thursday that it established the “Texas National Defense Area”, a 100-kilometre strip running east from the Texas-New Mexico border in El Paso. In this area, US soldiers are authorized to detain migrants, who are then transferred to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or other civilian law enforcement agencies, which handle issues of unauthorized border crossings.
In April, a 18-metre-wide, 270km-long strip along the parks of New Mexico was designated as a “National Defense Area”. Up to now, 82 migrants have been charged for crossing into the New Mexico military zone. However, US troop detentions were not involved, and CBP officials handled the situations.
These military zones allow the Trump administration to utilize army forces for detaining migrants without invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act. This act permits the president to deploy the US military in events such as civil disorders.
Roughly 11,900 US troops are currently stationed along the border with Mexico. In March, the number of migrants apprehended for crossing the border unlawfully plummeted to an all-time low, according to government data.
Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, a Republican, shared images of a border barrier construction, declaring, “Texas continues to collaborate with the Trump Administration to halt unauthorized immigration.” Since 2021, Abbott has deployed the state’s National Guard and police to bolster border security.
However, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, has voiced opposition to what she describes as a “deportation buffer zone” in her state. In a March social media post, she deemed it “an inefficient allocation of resources and personnel, especially considering the historical lows in migrant crossings.”
The US military announced on Thursday that it established the “Texas National Defense Area”, a 100-kilometre strip running east from the Texas-New Mexico border in El Paso. In this area, US soldiers are authorized to detain migrants, who are then transferred to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or other civilian law enforcement agencies, which handle issues of unauthorized border crossings.
In April, a 18-metre-wide, 270km-long strip along the parks of New Mexico was designated as a “National Defense Area”. Up to now, 82 migrants have been charged for crossing into the New Mexico military zone. However, US troop detentions were not involved, and CBP officials handled the situations.
These military zones allow the Trump administration to utilize army forces for detaining migrants without invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act. This act permits the president to deploy the US military in events such as civil disorders.
Roughly 11,900 US troops are currently stationed along the border with Mexico. In March, the number of migrants apprehended for crossing the border unlawfully plummeted to an all-time low, according to government data.
Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, a Republican, shared images of a border barrier construction, declaring, “Texas continues to collaborate with the Trump Administration to halt unauthorized immigration.” Since 2021, Abbott has deployed the state’s National Guard and police to bolster border security.
However, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, has voiced opposition to what she describes as a “deportation buffer zone” in her state. In a March social media post, she deemed it “an inefficient allocation of resources and personnel, especially considering the historical lows in migrant crossings.”
