President Trump issued a memorandum Friday authorizing the army to take management of federal lands alongside the southern border to fight unlawful immigration and drug smuggling.
“Our southern border is under attack from a variety of threats. The complexity of the current situation requires that our military take a more direct role in securing our southern border than in the recent past,” Trump wrote within the memo issued to Inside Secretary Doug Burgum, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Trump directed his Cupboard members to “take all appropriate actions” to “provide for the use and jurisdiction by the Department of Defense” over federal lands “that are reasonably necessary to enable military activities directed in this memorandum.”
The president listed “border-barrier construction and emplacement of detection and monitoring equipment” because the actions that the army will interact in alongside the US-Mexico border however later famous that Hegseth “may determine those military activities that are reasonably necessary and appropriate to accomplish the mission assigned.”
The mission is to “defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the US, as detailed in Trump’s Day One govt order on border safety.
Trump’s memo permits the army to function on the Roosevelt Reservation – a 60-foot large strip of land alongside the southern border that extends from California to Texas – however excludes federal Native American reservations.
“In carrying out activities under this memorandum, members of the Armed Forces will follow rules for the use of force prescribed by the Secretary of Defense,” the memo states.
Trump additional directed Hegseth to take all steps essential to “protect and maintain” the areas the place troops will probably be current as in the event that they have been “military installations,” together with by limiting entry to these areas.
Underneath the “phased implementation” of the land takeover, the Trump administration will “initially implement this memorandum on a limited sector of Federal lands designated by the Secretary of Defense,” based on the memo.
“Within 45 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of Defense shall assess this initial phase,” the directive continues.
“At any time, the Secretary of Defense may extend activities under this memorandum to additional Federal lands along the southern border in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor, and other executive departments and agencies as appropriate.”
