US Military Expands Border Security Measures with New Detention Zones

The US military has established a second zone along the US-Mexico border where troops can temporarily detain migrants, following a similar designation in New Mexico last month. The new “Texas National Defense Area” spans a 63-mile stretch east from the Texas-New Mexico border in El Paso.

Under this arrangement, troops will detain migrants and hand them over to US Border Patrol or other civilian law enforcement agencies. This move is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to ramp up immigration enforcement, with 11,900 troops currently deployed at the border.

The designation allows the administration to use troops to detain migrants without invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has expressed support for the measure, while New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has voiced opposition, calling it “a waste of resources and military personnel.”

To date, 82 migrants have been charged with crossing into the New Mexico military zone, although none were detained by US troops. The effectiveness and implications of these expanded security measures remain to be seen.