House NDAA would deepen Pentagon involvement in domestic, border operations
The House-passed version of the military policy bill makes Defense Department involvement in various domestic and law enforcement activities more permanent.
Patrick Tucker | July 17, 2025
Congress Pentagon Homeland Americas
The House version of the National Defense Authorization Act would increase Defense Department support for border protection and other law enforcement actions far outside of foreign military threats.
The National Defense Authorization Act provides congressional mandates on new departments or initiatives. This year’s House version significantly breaks down barriers between the Defense Department and domestic law enforcement.
One amendment, from Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, codifies the Defense Department’s role in homeland security and border enforcement, allowing the Secretary of Defense to “enter into a contract for the provision of” intelligence collection and monitoring—such as watching drone feeds—vehicle maintenance, aviation, linguistics, and warehousing in support of Customs and Border Protection efforts. That means that the Defense Department could use part of its budget to hire contractors to help with migrant detention and deportation efforts, rather than have troops perform those roles.
The bill also expands the Defense Department’s role in supporting any joint task force (regardless of agency) conducting “counter-terrorism” and “counter transnational-organized crime activities.” That provision makes permanent a 2004 NDAA pilot program that enabled Defense Department support for law enforcement counterterrorism operations (striking a sunset clause that would have ended it after fiscal year 2024).
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2025/07/house-ndaa-would-deepen-pentagon-involvement-domestic-border-operations/406786/?oref=d1-featured-river-secondary
