U.S. Military Increases Involvement in Border Control Operations to Boost Security

U.S. military personnel now have unprecedented authority to detain illegal immigrants crossing the southern border, marking a significant expansion of federal power to secure America’s boundaries.

Key Takeaways

The U.S. military can now detain undocumented migrants on a 60-foot-wide strip of land in New Mexico that has been reclassified as part of Arizona’s Fort Huachuca.
Nearly 110,000 acres of federal land have been transferred from the Department of the Interior to the Army for border security operations.
Military personnel can conduct searches, implement crowd control measures, and assist with temporary barriers until law enforcement arrives.
Over 10,000 service members are currently deployed along the southern border to support Customs and Border Protection.
The new national defense area spans more than 170 miles in New Mexico with plans to expand into Texas.

Military Granted New Border Security Authorities

In a significant shift from traditional military roles, U.S. troops stationed along the southern border have been authorized to detain individuals illegally crossing into the United States. U.S. Northern Command announced that service members assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border can now implement security measures within the newly designated New Mexico National Defense Area (NMNDA), which is part of the U.S. Army’s Fort Huachuca installation. This 60-foot-wide strip of land spans portions of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, creating a military-controlled zone along critical sections of the southern border.

The expanded role comes after President Trump’s memorandum that transferred border land control from civilian agencies to the Department of Defense. Under the new directive, military personnel can search and detain trespassers, provide medical assistance when necessary, implement crowd control measures, and assist with the installation of temporary barriers and fencing. This represents a substantial expansion of military involvement in immigration enforcement, traditionally limited to prevent militarization of domestic policing.

🇺🇸 Fox News: US military personnel in a New Mexico National Defense Area near the southern border can now temporarily detain & search illegal migrants. This shifts their role beyond traditional support, allowing detention of trespassers until law enforcement arrives. pic.twitter.com/UKLx7wA4BH

— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) April 21, 2025

Massive Land Transfer Bolsters Border Operations

The Department of the Interior has transferred nearly 110,000 acres of federal land to the Army to support Border Patrol operations for the next three years. This transfer represents one of the largest expansions of military jurisdiction for border security purposes in recent history. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the new national defense area currently spans more than 170 miles across New Mexico, with plans to add over 90 miles in Texas in the coming weeks, signaling the administration’s commitment to a military-backed approach to border security.

General Gregory Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command, emphasized that the military’s role is to ensure illegal trespassers are handed over to Customs and Border Protection or other law enforcement partners. Currently, over 10,000 service members are deployed along the southern border, reflecting the scale of this operation as part of the administration’s comprehensive border security strategy. The Defense Department estimates the cost of these southern border operations at nearly $1 billion over an eight-month period.

Broader Border Security Strategy

The expanded military role represents just one component of the administration’s multi-faceted approach to border security. In conjunction with the military deployment, the administration has issued a waiver to expedite border wall construction in southern California, bypassing environmental laws to accelerate the construction of approximately 2.5 miles of barrier outside San Diego. This approach has already shown measurable results, with Border Patrol reporting a significant drop in apprehensions of illegal immigrants between March 2024 and the following month.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has prominently supported the initiative, stating that the Department of Defense is delivering on President Trump’s directive to secure the border. The move has faced criticism from some Democratic lawmakers who have expressed concerns about resource allocation and the long-term costs of such extensive military deployment for immigration enforcement. Despite these objections, the administration appears committed to this strategy as part of its broader effort to address what President Trump has described as a complex situation requiring a more direct military role in border security.