The Defense Department is creating two new expanded military zones along the U.S.-Mexico border — one in Texas and the other in Arizona — as part of an effort to further crack down on illegal immigration, reports The New York Times.
A Defense Department official confirmed the report to The Hill, saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the heads of the Air Force and Navy "to take necessary action to establish National Defense Areas along the U.S.-Mexico border."
"DoD's new jurisdiction over these stretches of land and river will enhance the authority of the Department to secure the U.S. southern border from unlawful entry and to maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States," the official said in a statement.
A new "National Defense Area" will be created covering about 250 miles of the Rio Grande River in Texas and administered as a part of Joint Base San Antonio, according to the Air Force.
The U.S. officials said the other military zone would be administered as a part of Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona.
The zones are intended to allow the Trump administration to use troops to detain migrants without invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act that empowers a president to deploy the U.S. military to suppress events such as civil disorder.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.