Santa Fe: The Trump administration has announced the emergency transfer of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Department of the Army. The decision, confirmed by the Interior Department on Tuesday, is aimed at bolstering efforts to prevent illegal immigration as part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration enforcement strategy.
President Trump previously declared illegal immigration a national emergency in January and directed the U.S. military to play a greater role in securing the southern border.
According to the Interior Department, the land spans Hidalgo, Luna, and Doña Ana counties in New Mexico. The transfer is authorized for a three-year period, during which federal personnel will be permitted to patrol the area and construct infrastructure to deter unlawful border crossings.
The agency stated the move will assist in curbing not only illegal immigration but also drug trafficking, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling. It added that a secondary aim of the transfer is to safeguard ecologically sensitive areas that are being degraded by foot traffic along the border.
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This is not the first such measure enacted under Trump’s leadership. In 2019, during his first presidential term, a similar land transfer involving 560 acres was made to support the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
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The Interior Department noted that certain parcels of the transferred land are considered vital by local communities. As such, the agency pledged to coordinate with local stakeholders to preserve access for grazing and mining activities.
