Trump Authorizes Military To Seize Control Of US Border In Unprecedented Power Grab
Military Takes Control of US Southern Border In Unprecedented Move
In a dramatic escalation of border enforcement, President Donald Trump has authorized the US military to take jurisdiction over federal lands along the southern border, effectively creating a militarized zone stretching across portions of the US-Mexico boundary.
The bombshell memorandum, quietly issued late Friday night, instructs four cabinet secretaries to transfer control of border lands to the Department of Defense, allowing the military to establish what amounts to military installations along the 1,954-mile border. This move represents one of the most significant expansions of military authority within US borders in decades.
According to sources familiar with the implementation plan, the military will effectively create a buffer zone where migrants who cross illegally would be detained for "trespassing" on military property - a potential workaround to longstanding laws that prohibit the military from performing law enforcement functions on US soil.
The presidential memo specifically targets the Roosevelt Reservation - a 60-foot-wide strip of land that runs along the border - and grants Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth broad authority to expand military activities to additional federal lands at any time without further approval.
Border communities are already reporting increased military presence, with convoys of equipment and personnel moving toward designated sectors along the southern border. Fort Bliss in Texas appears to be serving as a staging area for the operation, with satellite images showing increased activity at the base in recent days.
"This is unlike anything we've seen before," said immigration attorney Maria Gonzalez. "The military has assisted at the border in the past, but taking jurisdiction over federal lands creates an entirely different legal scenario that raises serious constitutional questions."
The memo specifies that the Department of Defense will establish "rules for the use of force" for military personnel operating in these newly designated zones, though details remain unclear about what this means in practice. Previous deployments of military personnel to the border were limited to support roles, with troops explicitly prohibited from direct interaction with migrants.
Border landowners have reportedly begun receiving notices that portions of their property adjacent to federal lands may be subject to new restrictions or possible requisition under the national emergency declaration that remains in effect.
The memorandum appears designed to circumvent the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from acting as a domestic law enforcement agency. By designating the areas as military installations and treating migrants as trespassers who are "held" rather than "detained," the administration may be creating a legal pathway around these restrictions.
Human rights organizations have expressed alarm at the development, warning that placing military personnel in direct contact with migrants could lead to dangerous situations and violations of asylum seekers' rights under international law.
"This effectively creates a military-controlled zone on American soil," said human rights advocate James Peterson. "The implications for due process, humanitarian protections, and basic constitutional rights are extremely concerning."
The memo indicates implementation will begin in a limited sector but can be expanded at any time at the discretion of the Defense Secretary. Administration officials have declined to specify which border sectors will be affected first, though sources suggest Arizona and portions of Texas are the initial focus areas.
As military personnel and equipment begin moving into position along the border, Americans are left wondering what this unprecedented militarization of the southern border will mean for immigration policy, constitutional rights, and the traditional separation between military and civilian law enforcement.
