The Protection Division is establishing two more military buffer zones alongside the southwestern U.S. border with Mexico. That brings to 4 the variety of “Nationwide Protection Areas” the place U.S. navy personnel can briefly detain undocumented migrants for trespassing on what are actually thought-about to be extensions of U.S. navy bases.
U.S. navy personnel working within the buffer zones don’t perform regulation enforcement duties, however can briefly detain any trespassers, as they’d at any navy base, till they’re transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Safety personnel.
The Air Drive introduced in a information launch Wednesday {that a} 250-mile stretch of the border in Texas alongside the Rio Grande River in Cameron and Hidalgo counties might be transferred from the Worldwide Boundary and Water Fee and be thought-about part of Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.
One other buffer zone might be established in western Arizona and might be thought-about part of Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, in accordance with a U.S. official.
U.S. Military troopers stand exterior of a Stryker armored infantry transport car, which has been deployed alongside the U.S.-Mexico border as a part of the navy’s Joint Process Drive Southern Border mission, in Sunland Park, New Mexico on Friday, April 4, 2025.
The Washington Publish by way of Getty Im
The Marine Corps has not but formally made an announcement in regards to the institution of the brand new Nationwide Protection Space hooked up to the Yuma set up, which the official mentioned would prolong for 100 miles.
Beforehand, the Pentagon had established the Texas Nationwide Protection Space — masking 63 miles — hooked up to Fort Bliss, Texas, and the New Mexico Nationwide Protection Space — masking 170 miles — hooked up to Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
The Air Drive mentioned Wednesday that members of the Joint Process Drive-Southern Border, underneath the path of U.S. Northcom will function throughout the zones.
“Their obligations embody enhanced detection and monitoring by way of stationary positions and cell patrols, briefly detaining trespassers till they’re transferred to the suitable regulation enforcement authorities, and supporting the set up of momentary obstacles, and signage to safe the realm,” the Air Drive mentioned in an announcement.
Final month, a federal choose dismissed trespassing charges towards 98 undocumented immigrants who have been arrested in one of many Nationwide Protection Areas in New Mexico after discovering the federal authorities had did not reveal they knew they have been coming into the restricted zone.
As of about mid-Could, the Justice Division mentioned 60 individuals had pleaded guilty to prices stemming from illegally coming into the Nationwide Protection Space in western Texas.
