The US military is establishing two new border zones along the southern border with Mexico.
The announcement came on Wednesday as part of US President, Donald Trump’s continued effort to crack down on illegal immigration using military authority.
The newly created “National Defense Areas” will allow US troops to temporarily detain migrants and trespassers. The zones provide an alternative to invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act, which is typically used for domestic unrest.
A US official said that while two such zones already exist, only four people have been detained on those grounds so far.
One of the new areas will span about 250 miles of the Rio Grande River in Texas. It will be managed under Joint Base San Antonio, according to the US Air Force.
The second zone will be based near Yuma, Arizona, and will be overseen by Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
These zones are intended to give the military limited policing powers along the border, without triggering broader legal concerns tied to full military deployments on US soil.
But results have been mixed. Judges in Texas and New Mexico have dismissed trespassing charges against many migrants. Courts ruled they weren’t aware they were in restricted military zones.
Even so, about 120 migrants pleaded guilty to trespassing in the first Texas zone in May. In New Mexico, two convictions were secured on June 18, according to US Attorneys’ Offices.
As of now, approximately 11,900 US troops are deployed along the border with Mexico.
A photo taken in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on May 20 shows a US Border Patrol vehicle monitoring a 260-mile stretch of wall. That area, now under military control, restricts access not just for migrants—but also for American citizens.
The Trump administration says these actions have led to a major drop in border crossings.
Illegal entries hit record lows in March. Officials credit this to Trump’s military buildup, the prior Biden-era shutdown of asylum claims in 2024, and tighter immigration enforcement by Mexico.
(Reuters)
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