Trump administration adds militarized zone in California along southern US border

Trump Administration Expands Military Presence Along California-Mexico Border

The Trump administration has designated another militarized zone along the southern U.S. border, transferring jurisdiction of most of California’s international boundary with Mexico to the Navy in what officials describe as an effort to bolster national security operations.

The Department of Interior announced Wednesday that the newly established defense zone will stretch nearly from the Arizona state line to the Otay Mountain Wilderness, encompassing the Imperial Valley and border communities including Tecate. This marks the latest expansion in a growing network of militarized areas along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“By working with the Navy to close long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening national defense, protecting our public lands from unlawful use, and advancing the President’s agenda,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement, emphasizing “the historic role public lands have played in safeguarding national sovereignty.”

Since April, the administration has progressively converted large portions of the southern border into militarized zones, beginning with a 170-mile stretch in New Mexico before extending to sections in Texas and Arizona. These designations grant U.S. troops authority to apprehend immigrants and others accused of trespassing on military property, while also enabling additional criminal charges that can result in prison sentences.

The strategy has led to the deployment of more than 7,000 troops to the border, accompanied by military equipment including helicopters, drones, and various surveillance technologies. The Interior Department characterized the California expansion area as a high-traffic corridor for unauthorized border crossings.

However, the move comes as Border Patrol arrests along the southern U.S. border have plummeted to their lowest levels since the 1960s, even as President Trump continues to push for mass deportations as a cornerstone of his immigration policy.

Legal experts have raised concerns about the military’s expanding role in border enforcement. Critics argue the strategy circumvents the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits the use of federal military personnel to enforce domestic policies within the United States. They further contend that the approach thrusts the armed forces into what could become a politically charged mission.

The announcement coincided with a separate legal setback for the administration’s border security efforts in California. On the same day, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to cease deploying the California National Guard in Los Angeles and return control of those troops to state authorities. The ruling addresses Trump’s June mobilization of more than 4,000 California National Guard members without approval from Governor Gavin Newsom, a move intended to enhance immigration enforcement operations.

This latest expansion of military authority along the border represents a continuation of the emergency declaration issued by Trump earlier in his term, which has fundamentally altered the traditional role of the military in border security operations. The declaration has enabled the administration to bypass conventional constraints on military involvement in domestic law enforcement activities.

The militarization of the California border section completes a significant portion of the administration’s broader strategy to increase security presence along virtually the entire U.S.-Mexico boundary, creating a consistent enforcement approach from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

As these policies continue to evolve, they highlight the ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement priorities and state autonomy, particularly in border states with significant immigrant populations and different perspectives on immigration policy.