WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has issued a directive to convert a narrow federal strip of land along the US-Mexico border into a military installation, allowing troops to temporarily detain migrants for trespassing until Border Patrol agents take custody.
Outlined in a White House memorandum released Friday, the order transfers control of the Roosevelt Reservation — a 60-foot-wide stretch of federal land spanning parts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico — from other federal agencies to the Department of Defense.
A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the New York Times the designation would authorise military personnel to stop individuals crossing into the newly designated installation.
However, military forces would not have authority to conduct immigration arrests.
The move raises legal questions, as federal law generally restricts the use of active-duty troops in domestic law enforcement.
The directive permits the use of state National Guard units on the military-controlled strip.
Border analysts said this may bring military involvement in migrant detention close to the limits of legal authority, The New York Times reported.
“This creates a pathway for quasi-military personnel to detain migrants,” said Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America.
Operational details, including how long troops may hold migrants and where patrols would be placed, remain under review. Officials are also determining the signage, languages, and warning protocols required for the zone.
The White House and Department of Defense declined to comment on the implementation plan.
The memorandum formalizes a proposal that had been under internal consideration for several weeks and previously reported by The Washington Post.
