The US military has announced the creation of yet another military zone on the border with Mexico — this time in the state of Texas. It is allowed to temporarily detain migrants or people crossing the border illegally. About this informs Reuters.
The US military has announced the formation of the “Texas National Defense Zone”, which covers 63 miles (about 101 km) along the border line. It stretches east from the border between Texas and New Mexico near El Paso.
The zone allows the Trump administration to use the military to detain illegal immigrants without formally invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807. The law gives the president the authority to use the military to respond to domestic crises, the agency said.
Currently, approximately 11,900 military personnel are stationed along the Mexican border. According to government data, in March, the rate of detention of illegal migrants fell to the lowest level for the entire time of recording such data.
Federal prosecutors say 82 people have already been charged within Texas for trying to cross the newly created zone, although all cases were investigated and processed by Customs and Border Protection.
According to the US Department of Defense, consideration of cases related to illegal crossing of the border remains within the competence of the Border Service. In case of detention, the military will hand over the persons to the relevant civil authorities.
The governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, sharply criticized the placement of a military zone near her state. She described it as a “deportation buffer zone”, saying it was “a waste of resources and troops, especially when the number of migrants crossing the border is the lowest it has been in decades”.
