SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – The Trump administration is designating a new militarized zone along California’s border with Mexico to bolster border security operations.
The Department of the Interior announced Wednesday that it will transfer control of public lands along much of California’s international border to the Navy, citing the “historic role public lands have played in safeguarding national sovereignty.” The zone stretches nearly from the Arizona state line to the Otay Mountain Wilderness, crossing the Imperial Valley and border towns such as Tecate.
Since April, large portions of the southern border have been declared militarized zones, granting U.S. troops authority to apprehend immigrants and others accused of trespassing on military bases, while enabling additional criminal charges carrying potential prison time. Over 7,000 troops have been deployed, supported by helicopters, drones, and other surveillance equipment. The strategy began in April along a 170-mile stretch of New Mexico’s border and was later expanded to parts of Texas and Arizona.
The Interior Department called the California zone a high-traffic area for illegal crossings, although Border Patrol arrests along the southern border this year have fallen to the lowest levels since the 1960s amid Trump’s push for mass deportations.
“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,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The militarized zones follow an emergency declaration that places the military in a central role in deterring migrant crossings between U.S. ports of entry. Legal experts have raised concerns that the approach may violate laws barring domestic law enforcement by the military and risks politicizing armed forces operations.
The announcement comes as a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop deploying California National Guard troops in Los Angeles and return them to state control. In June, Trump had activated more than 4,000 National Guard members without the approval of Gov. Gavin Newsom to support immigration enforcement.