Pentagon Expands Military Enforcement Zone to El Paso as Border Crossings Hit Historic Lows

The U.S. Department of Defense has designated a second military enforcement zone along the U.S.-Mexico border, expanding its presence in immigration operations even as illegal border crossings fall to their lowest level in decades.

The new National Defense Area stretches 53 miles east from El Paso to the border town of Fort Hancock and is now part of the Fort Bliss Army base, according to Maj. Geoffrey Carmichael, spokesman for the Joint Task Force. Southern Border. U.S. soldiers will patrol the area, authorized to take custody of migrants who cross illegally before transferring them to the Department of Homeland Security.

“The establishment of a second National Defense Area increases our operational reach and effectiveness in denying illegal activity along the southern border,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command.

This follows a similar designation along the New Mexico border, where the military now controls a 60-foot-wide strip of land. In that zone, more than two dozen migrants were recently charged not only with illegal entry but also with trespassing on military property, a dual misdemeanor charge made possible by the new defense area designations.

According to Stars and Stripes, this latest expansion is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to use military force in immigration enforcement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) emphasized the change.

“Any illegal attempting to enter that zone is entering a military base, a federally protected area... You will be interdicted by U.S. troops and Border Patrol,” stated Hegseth.

Critics say the move circumvents the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from performing civilian law enforcement duties. But legal scholars note the administration is relying on a loophole.

Geoffrey S. Corn, director of the Center for Military Law and Policy at Texas Tech University and a retired Army lieutenant colonel, stated, “The Trump administration has found an ingenious way of using the military for immigration enforcement without asking Congress for permission.”

Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows that only 1,627 migrants were encountered in the El Paso sector in March, a dramatic 87% drop from August 2024. Despite this decline, military activity is ramping up.

“Using the military as part of border security reinforces the perception and the narrative that the nation is under some type of invasion,” Corn said. “But the facts contradict the assertion.”

The expansion of military zones along the southern border marks a significant shift in immigration enforcement, even as crossings decline. Critics warn it could escalate tensions and endanger humanitarian efforts in already vulnerable communities.