Days after jurisdiction over 170 square miles of federal land along the New Mexico-Mexico border was transferred to the US Military as part of a National Security Memorandum issued by President Trump earlier this month, US Soldiers assigned to the Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB) this week have been given orders to begin securing what is now called the New Mexico National Defense Area (NMNDA).
Because the NMNDA is now considered part of the U.S. Army Fort Huachuca installation, JTF-SB soldiers now have the authority to:
Temporarily detain trespassers on the NMNDA until an appropriate law enforcement entity can assume custody.
Conduct cursory searches of trespassers on the NMNDA to ensure the safety of U.S. service members and Department of Defense (DoD) property.
Conduct crowd control measures as necessary to ensure the safety of U.S. service members and DoD property.
Provide emergency medical support to trespassers on the NMNDA to prevent the loss of life, limb, or eyesight.
Upon request, assist with the installation of temporary barriers, signage, and fencing in accordance with service-specific signage and fencing standards or as authorized and directed by the Fort Huachuca Senior Commander.
"(US Military members of) Joint Task Force-Southern Border will conduct enhanced detection and monitoring, which will include vehicle and foot patrols, rotary wing, and fixed surveillance site operations. Through these enhanced authorities, U.S. Northern Command will ensure those who illegally trespass in the New Mexico National Defense Area are handed over to Customs and Border Protection or our other law enforcement partners." - Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, U.S. Northern Command
The President made it clear in his National Security Memorandum that the task of the soldiers now assigned to the US Southern Border is to repel what he has declared to be "an invasion" of the United States:
"Our southern border is under attack from a variety of threats. The complexity of the current situation requires that our military take a more direct role in securing our southern border than in the recent past. I assigned the Armed Forces of the United States the military missions of repelling the invasion and sealing the United States southern border from unlawful entry to maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States." -President Donald J. Trump
Do you support the militarization of the US Southern Border?
Share your opinion in the comments to this article.
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
Every inch of both borders need to be monitored for illegal activity all the time. That is one of the few powers given the federal government by the constitution. It is a good use of the peacetime military.
The entire border should be militarized with one way traffic OUT