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Interior Secretary Doug Burgham visited New Mexico on Tuesday and announced that the US military will control approximately 110,000 acres of federal land along the US-Mexican border.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, 109,651 acres of federal land will be transferred to the Army for three years subject to existing rights in effect.
The move comes after President Donald Trump signed a memorandum last week. “A military mission to seal US southern borders and repel invasions “instructs that “defense secretary, domestic, agriculture and homeland security are necessary to “reasonably effective for military activities.”
According to the Ministry of Interior, the switching of jurisdiction will allow the government to protect the sensitive natural and cultural resources of the region, while also helping the Army to secure borders and support the border patrol operations to prevent illegal immigration.
The Navy deploys another Hooty combat warship on missions on the new US tropical border
A group of over 100 immigrants attempted to illegally enter the United States on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
“Securing our borders and protecting our country’s resources is closely related,” Burgham said in a statement. “The American people have given President Trump a mandate to make America safe and powerful again.”
Burgham said the changes reflect interiors’ commitment to public safety, national security and responsible management of public lands.
Immigrants on the tropical border of Arizona. (US Border Patrol)
Trump orders military personnel to control federal land at the tropical border
The Army requested relocation on an “emergency basis” and was able to increase regular patrols by federal officials.
Trump declared a national emergency along the tropical border earlier this year.
The Army can also build infrastructure to prevent illegal immigrants, human traffickers and drugs from crossing the border.
US Customs and Border Protection Agents from the Houlton sector will arrest illegal borders in March 2025. (US Customs and Border Protection)
The department also pointed out that the crisis along the border is not limited to concerns from national security and law enforcement, but “presents an environmental crisis.”
The federal government, previously managed by the Bureau of Land Management, lives near the endangered species.
The area, from scattered small artifacts to large multiroom pueblos, includes cultural locations that could be harmful by repeated pedestrians, unregulated vehicles use and the creation of informal trails or camps, according to the statement.
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Illegal crossings with high traffic can lead to soil erosion, damage to vulnerable desert vegetation and loss of serious wildlife habitat, loss of cultural resources, increased fire risk, and contamination by garbage and human waste.
The department acknowledged that some of the land transferred to the Army is essential for the livelihood of the community, and said the Bureau of Land Management would work with the Army to ensure that “some” use continues to support local grazing and mining.
Alexandra Koch is a news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox News, Alexandra covered news, crime, religion and military in the Southeast.
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