Trump's plan for military bases along Southwest border strip will allow soldiers to detain migrants

PHOENIX — President Donald Trump followed up on his January declaration of an invasion at the Southwest border by swiftly dispatching thousands of troops there in support roles. Now, Pres. Trump has taken an unprecedented step: ordering the Pentagon to designate public land along the border as a military installation .

That will allow soldiers to detain border crossers for trespassing on a military base. >> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone. A new memorandum from the president would allow the military to potentially circumvent the 19th-century Posse Comitatus law that prohibits using the military in a law-enforcement role on American soil.



"Our southern border is under attack from a variety of threats," the memorandum says. "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." Bases on 632-Mile Strip of Land The specific border area is known as the Roosevelt Reservation , a 60-foot-wide strip of land owned by the federal government along the U.

S. side of the border with Mexico. The reservation runs for 632 miles through California, Arizona and New Mexico.

Sixty-two miles of tribal land on the Tohono O'odham reservation in Arizona are excluded from the Trump order. Trump's order will phase in the installations. The secretaries of defense, the interior, agriculture, and homeland security will designate bases on "a limited sector" of public lands on the Roosevelt Reservation.

By May 26 — 45 days after the memorandum was issued — the defense secretary will assess the first phase. National Guard soldiers could be deployed to the bases. Border Crossings Have Plunged Trump's expansion of troops' border role comes as border crossings have plunged in recent months.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 7,200 migrant encounters were reported in March.

That's way down from more than 189,000 during the same month a year ago. Court Challlenges Likely Legal experts say Trump's action will likely be challenged in court. "Apprehending and removing migrants is a civilian law enforcement function," Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said in a social media post.

"Unlawful migration is not an act of war, whatever rhetoric Trump may use." Hobbs and Kelly Raise Concerns A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said in an email to 12News that her office was "still examining the details of the memo and awaiting more information on the mission the troops will be executing.

" "The governor is particularly concerned about the federal government respecting tribal nations and private property along the border, and ensuring the troops are focused on true border security instead of political stunts," the spokesman said. Democratic Arizona Senator Mark Kelly said in a statement to 12 News that Trump's plan is a "bad idea": "Troops can support in emergencies, but this plan goes far beyond that. It risks putting service members in roles they aren't trained for, undermining their readiness for their missions.

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