Hundreds of Marines have been deployed to Yuma, Arizona, to assist in the Trump administration's efforts to strengthen security along the border with Mexico.
The deployment followed a July announcement by the Department of the Interior that it transferred jurisdiction of about 285 acres of public land in Yuma County along the border to the Navy for three years.
The land was designated a National Defense Area to support border security operations.
The zone, adjacent to the Roosevelt Reservation along the Barry M. Goldwater Range and the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge, allows military personnel to temporarily detain people who enter the restricted area unlawfully, according to Customs and Border Protection.
Detainees are then turned over to Border Patrol agents to face criminal charges for violating defense property regulations and entering military property, as well as charges related to illegal entry.
They then face removal proceedings.
The Marine Times reported Tuesday that about 450 Marines from Camp Pendleton in Southern California were set for deployment. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Dec. 19 that about 500 Marines would be sent.
A spokesperson for Joint Task Force-Southern Border, which oversees nearly 2,000 miles of the border from San Diego to McAllen, Texas, told the Marine Times that the service members will primarily work on construction-related projects.
Those efforts include barrier reinforcement, signage placement, and road improvements. The battalion is expected to deploy for about six months and work along the length of the southern border.
The Marines are not authorized to conduct civilian law enforcement activities such as searches, seizures, or arrests, according to the Union-Tribune.
Most of the deployed personnel are from the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton.
Marine deployments in support of southern border security are not new under President Donald Trump's second administration.
Shortly after Trump's inauguration in January, the Department of Defense (now the Department of War) made border security a priority following Trump's executive order titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion," which outlined broad immigration enforcement and border security policies.
About 8,500 service members are assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border, according to the Marine Times. Before the executive order, about 2,500 service members were assigned.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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