Amid ongoing discussions about border security, the Trump administration is exploring a plan to create a military-managed buffer zone along the southern border.
This proposed zone would reportedly be about 60 feet deep and would give the military the ability to temporarily hold migrants who cross into the U.S. illegally.
BREAKING: The Trump admin is evaluating plans for the Pentagon to take control of a buffer zone along a sprawling stretch of the southern border and empower active-duty U.S. troops to temporarily hold migrants who cross into the U.S. illegally – WaPo
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According to information from a senior official, if the plan goes ahead, it might also introduce stricter penalties for illegal immigration, including a faster deportation process.
Sources indicate that the buffer zone could span from west Texas, near El Paso, all the way to the Pacific Ocean, extending north of Tijuana, Mexico. U.S. troops would only detain those migrants when Customs and Border Protection agents aren’t immediately available to handle the situation. After apprehending an illegal migrant, troops would keep them only until law enforcement arrives.
When discussing potential legal issues, officials compared this situation to handling trespassers on a military base, suggesting that holding migrants there wouldn’t be seen in the same light as detention.
A defense official emphasized the importance of careful wording, stating, “It’s not ‘detention’ because once you go into detention, it has the connotations of being detained for arrest. This is holding for civilian law enforcement.”
Although the White House has been in talks regarding this military buffer zone for several weeks, whether President Trump will greenlight the plan remains uncertain. The Department of Defense said they have “nothing to announce at this time,” while the Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment on the matter.
Since taking office again earlier this year, Trump has kept immigration at the forefront of his agenda, aiming to reduce illegal crossings and bolster border security.
Upon his return to the presidency, Trump signed several executive orders, including one that labeled drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, citing a significant national security risk for the U.S.
He also declared a national emergency at the southern border, directing the Defense Secretary to send more personnel to assist.
Recently, the Defense Department unveiled a new joint task force tasked with securing the southern border, with an operational hub set up at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Should the buffer zone plan be implemented, it could serve as a temporary annex for adjacent military installations like Huachuca.
In a related development, the Defense Department reached an agreement with Mexico to bolster border patrols by adding 10,000 Mexican troops to its side of the border.
There have even been discussions of using military facilities, such as Guantanamo Bay, for detaining illegal migrants.
The first detainees processed at Guantanamo include members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, with connections to various serious crimes.
Earlier this month, Trump thanked El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for accepting 200 gang members deported from the U.S. as part of a larger security strategy.
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