Earlier this week, the Department of Defense announced that another stretch of land along the southern border had been designated a military zone to help enforce illegal entry into the United States.
The newly announced zone in Texas along the border with Mexico will encompass Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso. The zone will be the second of its kind after President Trump announced a similar stretch along the border in New Mexico.
Individuals caught illegally crossing into these areas from Mexico can be taken into custody by military personnel before being transferred to civilian authorities in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They could face prosecutions on two separate federal crimes: illegal entry into the U.S. and trespassing on a military site.
“Any illegal attempting to enter that zone is entering a military base, a federally protected area,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, per AP. “You will be interdicted by U.S. troops and Border Patrol.”
Nearly 12,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed along the border with Mexico. Since President Trump assumed office in January, illegal border crossings into the United States have plummeted, falling to the lowest levels recorded since the mid-1960s.