• The Trump administration transferred 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Department of the Army under the Department of Defense, enabling expanded military control for patrols, infrastructure and deterrence of illegal crossings, drug smuggling and human trafficking.
• The move, enacted under Trump’s national emergency declaration, bypasses lengthy environmental and permitting reviews – allowing rapid construction of barriers, surveillance systems and logistical hubs.
• Officials claim the transfer protects ecologically sensitive areas damaged by illegal migration while disrupting smuggling networks. The affected regions in New Mexico have suffered environmental degradation from unchecked foot traffic.
• Critics argue the administration is sidestepping environmental protections and public oversight. Legal experts question potential violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
• The Army will collaborate with the Homeland Security and Interior departments to balance security with environmental preservation. The land’s status will be reassessed after three years, but the move reinforces Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy.

The Trump administration has transferred nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Department of the Army in a decisive move to strengthen border security, the Department of the Interior confirmed Tuesday, April 15.

The emergency measure, enacted under President Donald Trump’s January declaration of illegal immigration as a national emergency, grants the military control over vast stretches of land in New Mexico and Arizona for expanded patrols, infrastructure development and deterrence of illegal crossings, drug smuggling and human trafficking. It also marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy

Since January, the Department of Defense has deployed active-duty troops and National Guard personnel to reinforce Customs and Border Protection operations. Now, with direct control over 110,000 acres, the Army will accelerate the construction of barriers, surveillance systems and logistical hubs – bypassing lengthy environmental and permitting reviews under emergency authority provisions. (Related: The Trump effect: RECORD LOW in illegal border crossings signals a new era of border security.)

Protecting land and law

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum framed the transfer as a dual-purpose initiative: Securing the border while safeguarding ecologically sensitive areas degraded by illegal foot traffic. The affected zones spanning Hidalgo, Luna and Doña Ana counties in New Mexico have suffered environmental damage from unchecked migration routes. Military patrols and fortified barriers, officials argue, will curb further harm while disrupting smuggling networks exploiting these vulnerable corridors.

This is not the administration’s first land reassignment for border security. In 2019, 560 acres were transferred for wall construction. The latest move, however, is far more expansive – creating a 170-mile “National Defense Area” along federal lands and effectively extending military jurisdiction.

Critics, including environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers, allege the administration is sidestepping public oversight and environmental protections. Legal experts also question whether the move violates the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement.

The Army will collaborate with Homeland Security and the Interior to balance security operations with environmental and cultural preservation mandates. After three years, the land’s status will be reassessed. For now, the administration is doubling down on deterrence, framing the transfer as a necessary response to what it calls a crisis of illegal immigration, drug trafficking and national security threats neglected by previous administrations.

As soldiers begin patrolling newly militarized zones, the policy solidifies Trump’s enforcement-first approach to immigration. Whether it curbs illegal crossings or faces legal challenges, one thing is clear: the administration is reshaping the southern border’s future – one acre at a time.

Watch this Fox News clip about border czar Tom Homan’s commitment to seeking national security threats and protecting America’s borders.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Trump deploys 1,500 service members to boost security at the southern border.

Trump’s ICE delivers on border security: 33,000 illegal aliens arrested in just 50 days.

Tom Homan warns opponents of BORDER SECURITY: “Get the hell out of the way”.

San Diego Border Patrol chief: Trump’s troop deployments have transformed BORDER SECURITY.

Trump’s tariff threats yield major border security concessions from Canada.

Sources include: 

YourNews.com

Reuters.com

ABCNews.go.gom

Brighteon.com