Trump Admin May Expand Military's Power at the Border Using Page From Teddy Roosevelt's Immigration Playbook
The stretch of land is located in New Mexico
Demian Bio Demian Bio @bio_demian / Published Mar 20 2025, 9:14 AM EDT
The Trump administration is reportedly considering a plan for the Pentagon to take control of a buffer zone along the southern border, allowing active-duty troops to temporarily hold migrants who cross illegally.
Quoting officials familiar with the discussions, the Washington Post detailed that the plan would turn the buffer zone into a military-controlled area. This would allow Defense Department funds for border enforcement and increasing legal consequences for unauthorized crossings.
Discussions have focused on a 60-foot-wide stretch in New Mexico, which was initially set aside by Theodore Roosevelt last century for border security purposes. There is also the possibility that the area will expand west to California.
While typically under Interior Department control, parts have been transferred to the Pentagon in the past. Federal law allows the Defense Department to acquire up to 5,000 acres at a time without congressional approval.
https://www.latintimes.com/trump-admin-may-expand-militarys-power-border-using-page-teddy-roosevelts-immigration-playbook-578845
