Trump admin reveals new militarized zone plan for California-Mexico border
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President Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum at the White House in June. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Trump administration announced plans Wednesday for a new militarized zone in California, along the U.S.–Mexico border.
The big picture: Some 760 acres of public land in San Diego and Imperial counties is being transferred to the Navy over a three-year period to "support ongoing border security operations" and national defense in the latest militarized zone, per a Department of the Interior statement.
- President Trump's administration has since April designated several new militarized zones along the border in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, authorizing the military to detain immigrants suspected of crossing illegally as part of his January executive order declaring illegal immigration a national emergency.
- His administration's hardline immigration crackdown has led to illegal crossings at the U.S. borders falling to their lowest point in decades.
Zoom in: The latest area "stretches from the western boundary of the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area to about one mile west of the California–Arizona state line," according to the Interior Department.
- "This corridor is one of the highest traffic regions for unlawful crossings along the southern border, creating significant national security challenges and contributing to environmental degradation," the statement says.
- "The land, originally reserved in 1907 by President Theodore Roosevelt for border protection purposes, will be used by the Navy to strengthen operational capabilities while reducing ecological harm associated with sustained illegal activity."
Zoom out: Critics including the Brennan Center say such militarized zones enable the military to "act as a de facto border police force, with soldiers apprehending, searching, and detaining people who cross the border unlawfully."
- The advocacy group warned after Trump enabled the move in an April memo that it "could have alarming implications for democratic freedoms" and that it "continues a pattern of the president stretching his emergency powers past their limits to usurp the role of Congress and bypass legal rights."
What they're saying: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement that Trump "has made it clear that securing our border and restoring American sovereignty are top national priorities" and the latest action delivers on that commitment.
- "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 to put the safety and security of the American people first," he added.
Go deeper: Trump gives military jurisdiction over federal land at U.S.-Mexico border
