President Trump Authorizes Military to Occupy Public Land Along U.S.–Mexico Border to Seal the Border and Repel Invasions

Trump has ordered the military to take over public lands along the southern border. Units from 2nd Stryker Brigade, 4th Infantry are now operating in El Paso and Big Bend, focusing on border surveillance.

“The southern border is under siege,” President Trump.

This is what I voted for.

President Trump Authorizes Military to Occupy Public Land Along U.S.–Mexico Border

By: Trent Walker, News Addicts, April 12, 2025:

President Donald Trump has authorized the United States military to take full jurisdiction over federal lands along the U.S.–Mexico border in an aggressive push to seal the border and repel the ongoing invasion of illegal immigrants, traffickers, and cartel operatives.

The memorandum, National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-4, directs the Secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security to facilitate the immediate transfer of federal lands—including the Roosevelt Reservation—to Department of Defense (DoD) jurisdiction.

This will allow for the rapid construction of new border barriers, deployment of advanced surveillance systems, and the establishment of “National Defense Areas” where military forces will have full operational authority.

“The southern border is under siege,” President Trump declared in an accompanying statement.

“Weak leadership in Washington has allowed criminal aliens, drug traffickers, and hostile actors to flood into our country unchecked.”

“Today, we are taking back control. We will no longer tolerate lawlessness, and we will use every tool at our disposal—including our military—to defend the American people.”

The order invokes 43 U.S.C. 155, a provision allowing the federal government to withdraw public lands for national defense purposes, bypassing bureaucratic hurdles that have previously stalled border security efforts.

Additionally, the memorandum builds on Executive Order 14167, signed on Inauguration Day 2025, which explicitly tasks the military with “repelling the invasion” and sealing the border from unlawful entry.

Critically, the directive empowers military commanders to exclude individuals from designated zones, effectively creating a hardened security perimeter where trespassers—including activists, human traffickers, and illegal crossers—could face immediate detention or expulsion.

Continue reading.

Military Mission for Sealing the Southern Border of the United States and Repelling Invasions—Full text:

As the Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, the United States Constitution empowers me to direct the various elements of the executive branch to protect our homeland and ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the United States in the manner I deem most efficient and effective, consistent with applicable law. 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. Through Executive Order 14167 of January 20, 2025 (Clarifying the Military’s Role in Protecting the Territorial Integrity of the United States), 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. This memorandum provides additional guidance on securing the southern border to the heads of certain executive departments.

Section 1. Policy. (a) to accomplish the military missions described in Executive Order 14167, and to ensure the safety and security of the military and other Federal personnel in areas of military operations within Federal lands along the southern border, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate actions:

(i) to provide for the use and jurisdiction by the Department of Defense over such Federal lands, including the Roosevelt Reservation and excluding Federal Indian Reservations, that are reasonably necessary to enable military activities directed in this memorandum, including border-barrier construction and emplacement of detection and monitoring equipment; and

(ii) to provide for transfer and acceptance of jurisdiction over such Federal lands in accordance with applicable law to enable military activities directed in this memorandum to occur on a military installation under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense and for the designation of such Federal lands as National Defense Areas by the Secretary of Defense.

(b) The Secretary of the Interior shall allow the Secretary of Defense to use those portions of the Roosevelt Reservation not yet transferred or withdrawn under this memorandum. In accordance with Proclamation 10886 of January 20, 2025 (Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States), 43 U.S.C. 155 is hereby invoked and the Secretary of the Interior may make withdrawals, reservations, and restrictions of public lands to provide for the utilization of public lands by the Department of Defense to address the emergency at the southern border, without regard to any limitation on withdrawals otherwise applicable under the terms of the Engle Act, 43 U.S.C. 155-158.

(c) The Secretary of Defense may determine those military activities that are reasonably necessary and appropriate to accomplish the mission assigned in Executive Order 14167 and that are necessary to protect and maintain the security of military installations, consistent with section 2672 of title 10, United States Code, and the longstanding authority of a military installation commander to exclude persons from a military installation, as recognized in section 21 of the Internal Security Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 797) and 18 U.S.C. 1382.

(d) In carrying out activities under this memorandum, members of the Armed Forces will follow rules for the use of force prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

Sec. 2. Phased Implementation. The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Homeland Security will initially implement this memorandum on a limited sector of Federal lands designated by the Secretary of Defense. Within 45 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of Defense shall assess this initial phase. At any time, the Secretary of Defense may extend activities under this memorandum to additional Federal lands along the southern border in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor, and other executive departments and agencies as appropriate.

Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority of the Secretary of Defense to authorize and request that State Governors order members of the National Guard under authority of title 32 of the United States Code to conduct Department of Defense activities, including as appropriate to support law enforcement activities under the responsibility of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security, if requested by such official;

(ii) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(iii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

AUTHOR

Pamela Geller

EDITORS NOTE: This Geller Report is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

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