Trump administration announces militarized zone along California border
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The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it plans to establish a new military zone along the U.S.-Mexico border in California.
The Interior Department said about 760 acres in San Diego and Imperial Counties would be placed under Navy jurisdiction to “strengthen ongoing border security operations.”
The addition of the installation will effectively allow federal personnel to detain suspected illegal immigrants for trespassing on U.S. soil.
The Ministry defined the National Defense Zone as a corridor where illegal crossings are intense. The area will reportedly extend from the western border of the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area to about a mile west of the California-Arizona state line, and Navy control will last for three years.
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This aerial photo taken in September 2023 shows the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, San Diego County, California. (Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images)
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the move directly advances what he described as President Donald Trump’s top national priorities.
“President Trump has made clear that securing our border and restoring American sovereignty are top national priorities,” Burgum said. “This action fulfills that commitment. By working with the Navy to close long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening national defense, protecting our public lands from unlawful use, and advancing the President’s agenda of putting the safety and security of the American people first.”
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US soldiers take precautions at the National Defense Area in New Mexico on May 08, 2025. (Can Hasasu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The ministry added that heavy illegal crossing traffic in the corridor contributes to both “significant national security issues” and environmental degradation. The militarization of the region will reportedly “increase border operations while minimizing ecological damage” linked to persistent illegal activities.
The Interior Department said it is coordinating the move with the Navy to ensure the land, which was set aside for border protection by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907, is legal and fit for its original purpose.
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Adding a new National Defense Site in California would strengthen border security and U.S. defense, United States Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
In recent months, the administration has established several national defense areas, including areas in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. These moves were made to aggressively expand military authority along the southern border, including the deployment of federal troops and expansion of rules to combat illegal immigration, border security and general crime.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Internal Affairs and the Navy for more information.
