Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited New Mexico on Tuesday to announce that the U.S. Army will control nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border, the latest attempt to contain Illegal immigration and trafficking.
109,651 acres of federal land to be transferred to army According to a statement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, three years of holding valid existing rights.
This move comes after the president Donald Trump Last week, a memorandum was signed, “Memorandum of Sealing the Southern U.S. border and repelling the invasion” directed the Secretary of the Department of Defense, Interior, Agriculture and Homeland Security to control federal lands “reasonably necessary military activities.”
The conversion of jurisdiction will enable the government to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources in the region while helping the Army support US Border Patrol According to the Ministry of the Interior, in actions to protect the borders and prevent illegal immigration.
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A group of more than 100 immigrants attempted to enter the United States illegally on Thursday, March 21, 2024. (James Breeden for New York Post)/Large Post
“Ensure our borders and protect the country’s resources go hand in hand,” Burgum said in a statement. “The American people have given President Trump the task to make the United States safe and powerful again. ”
Burgum said the change reflects the internal affairs commitment to public safety, national security and responsible public land management.
Immigration on the southern border of Arizona. (US Border Patrol)
Trump orders military control of federal land on the southern border
The military demanded that the transfer be carried out in accordance with the “emergency” so that they could increase regular patrols of federal personnel.
Trump announced a national emergency on the southern border earlier this year.
The Army will also be able to build infrastructure to prevent illegal immigration, human traffickers and narcotics from crossing the border.
In March 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from the Holden department arrested transiters who illegally transited. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
The department noted that the border crisis is not limited to national security and law enforcement issues, but also raised the Environmental crisis. ”
The area resides in nearly twenty-two endangered species in the region, which were previously managed by the Land Administration.
The area also contains cultural sites that spread from small artifacts to large multi-rooms, attractions that may be damaged by repeated abortions, unregulated use of vehicles and the creation of informal trails or camps, the statement said.
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Illegal crossings with high flows can lead to soil erosion, fragile desert vegetation and critical wildlife habitats, loss and damage to cultural resources, increased fire risks, and pollution of garbage and human waste.
The department acknowledged that some of the land transferred to the Army was crucial to the livelihoods of local communities and said the Land Administration would work with the Army to ensure that “certain” uses continue to support local grazing and mining.
