Trump Signs Order Granting Military Control Over U.S.–Mexico Borderlands Amid National Security Push
By Staff Writer
In a sweeping move to intensify border security, President Donald J. Trump has authorized the U.S. military to assume full jurisdiction over federal lands along the southern border, invoking national defense authorities to fast-track the deployment of troops, barriers, and surveillance infrastructure.
NSPM-4: Military Secures Key Borderlands
The newly signed directive, National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-4, instructs the Departments of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security to transfer oversight of specific federal lands—including the Roosevelt Reservation—to the Department of Defense.
This strategic maneuver enables the military to bypass standard environmental and regulatory delays, allowing for:
- Rapid construction of physical border barriers
- Immediate installation of advanced surveillance and communication systems
- Establishment of “National Defense Areas” with full military operational authority
Presidential Declaration: ‘We Are Taking Back Control’
“The southern border is under siege,” Trump stated in a press release Friday. “Weak leadership in Washington has allowed criminal aliens, drug traffickers, and hostile actors to flood into our country unchecked. Today, we are taking back control. We will no longer tolerate lawlessness, and we will use every tool at our disposal—including our military—to defend the American people.”
Legal Foundation: 43 U.S.C. 155 and Executive Order 14167
The memorandum leverages 43 U.S.C. §155, a statute allowing the federal government to withdraw public land for national defense, circumventing bureaucratic slowdowns.
It builds upon Executive Order 14167, signed by Trump on January 20, 2025, which directed the military to “repel the invasion” of unlawful border crossers and secure American sovereignty.
What This Means on the Ground
Already, Marines from 1st Combat Engineer Battalion have been seen deploying concertina wire and tactical barriers in remote regions of the southern border, with further reinforcements expected.
Military commanders under this order are now empowered to:
- Exclude civilians from National Defense Areas
- Detain or expel trespassers, including activists, smugglers, and foreign nationals
- Operate with heightened autonomy in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Photos from the Front Line
U.S. Marines emplacing concertina wire, California border, Nov. 30, 2018
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Brendan Mullin, U.S. Marine Corps)
Soldiers conduct a supply drop in McAllen, Texas, Feb. 2, 2025
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Keaton Habeck, U.S. Army)
Conclusion
President Trump’s decisive action marks a historic shift in federal border policy, signaling a return to military-led national defense measures unseen in decades. As the administration invokes wartime powers to secure the border, proponents call it a necessary response to an ongoing invasion, while critics brace for legal challenges over land use and civil liberties.
The administration remains clear: no sanctuary, no delay—just enforcement.
