Key points
- Move expands US military’s role in border operations
- The measure also raises legal questions
- Federal law restricts use of active-duty forces in domestic law enforcement
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has issued a memo directing four federal agencies to permit the military to access and assume control of federal land along the US-Mexico border, Western media reported.
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.
The New York Times cited a US military official as saying that the designation would authorise military personnel to stop individuals crossing into the newly designated installation.
However, military forces would not have authority to carry out immigration arrests.
Limits of legal authority
The measure raises legal questions, as federal law generally restricts the use of active-duty forces in domestic law enforcement.
The directive allows 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, according to The New York Times.
Operational details, including how long forces 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, US media reported.
The memorandum formalises a proposal that had been under internal consideration for several weeks and previously reported by The Washington Post.
