Trump Orders Military Control of Federal Strip Along Mexico Border
President Donald Trump has authorized the transformation of a federally owned land strip along the U.S.-Mexico border into a temporary military zone, enabling U.S. troops to detain migrants for trespassing until they can be handed over to Border Patrol.
Detailed in a White House memorandum released on Friday, the order shifts authority over the Roosevelt Reservation—a 60-foot-wide federal corridor spanning sections of California, Arizona, and New Mexico—to the Department of Defense from other federal agencies.
A U.S. military official, speaking anonymously to the New York Times, confirmed that the new designation permits military personnel to intercept individuals crossing into the restricted area. However, active-duty soldiers will not be allowed to make immigration arrests, which remain the responsibility of Border Patrol agents.
The move is already sparking debate over its legality, as U.S. law generally limits the involvement of active-duty troops in domestic law enforcement activities. However, the order allows the deployment of National Guard units from individual states on this militarized strip.
Experts on border policy have voiced concern that this action could push the boundaries of lawful military involvement in immigration enforcement. Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America noted the decision “opens the door to a quasi-military role in migrant detention.”
Key operational aspects, including how long migrants can be held by troops and where military patrols will operate, are still being finalized. Authorities are also reviewing signage and warning procedures, including which languages should be used to alert individuals crossing into the restricted area.
Neither the Pentagon nor the White House has provided further comment on how or when the directive will be put into effect.
This memo formalizes a concept that had been circulating within the administration for weeks and was first reported by The Washington Post.
