Latest news with #NationalDefenseAreas'
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Officials defend use of National Defense Areas along New Mexico's southern border
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The feds have made new military zones along the southern border a core piece of their strategy, cracking down on immigration, now New Mexico's top federal prosecutor is explaining and defending how the areas are being used. Part of New Mexico's southern border now a military zone aimed at stopping illegal trespassing Despite saying they've faced criticism about the 'National Defense Areas' being a waste of time and having little effect on illegal immigration, prosecutors said it's still an important tool they're not walking away from. 'Border security is National security, it is every nation's fundamental right and indeed it's responsibility to know exactly who and what is coming across our borders,' said District of New Mexico U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. 'The message is: regardless, you're still getting removed. We're going to still bring them. We may win on them, we may not, but regardless, at the end of the day, you are not going to be allowed to stay, if you enter the country illegally,' said Justin Simmons, Assistant U.S. Attorney, West Texas. There are now two National Defense Areas covering a 170-mile stretch of New Mexico and Texas along the southern border. The areas allow US military personnel to work alongside border patrol to prevent illegal border crossings, meaning anyone caught trespassing could face military prosecution, in addition to illegal immigration charges. Prosecutors emphasized Wednesday that these areas and the increase in charges will take power away from Mexican cartels. 'Our goal, to be clear, is not just about illegal immigration. It is total eradication of drug cartels. And like it or not, illegal immigration feeds the wolf, that are Mexican drug cartels,' said Simmons. Ellison also noted Wednesday the high number of repeat crossers and that moving forward, they should have an easier time convicting people who keep trying to cross the border. That's because anyone caught in the newer NDA's has to sign paperwork acknowledging what they did. US Attorney Ellison also said around 500 people have already been charged in New Mexico under the newer National Defense Areas, about five times the number of people they'd charged in early May. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
More US troops headed to the Southern border
PRESENTED BY BOEING The Big Story The Pentagon is sending 1,115 additional active-duty troops to deploy to the U.S.-Mexico border, bringing the number of service members there close to 10,000. © Associated Press The troops will mainly help with sustainment engineering, logistics, medical and construction, U.S. Northern Command said in a statement Thursday. The additional service members mark another increase in the military's role in supporting President Trump's aggressive immigration control agenda. There are already just shy of 8,000 active-duty troops at the border, with the added 1,115 bringing the total to nearly 10,000, a figure approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year. Trump, since the start of his administration, has vastly increased the number of troops at the border – by about 7,500 – after he heavily campaigned on minimizing illegal immigration and removing immigrants in the United States without legal status, promising 'mass deportations.' Last month, Trump authorized the military to take control of federal land stretching across three states at the southern border and designate it as 'National Defense Areas' to assist in implementing his immigration crackdown. The move gave the military a more direct role in interacting with immigrants at the border, as it was given the authority to detain and search immigrants lacking certain documentation in New Mexico. In the past decade, troops have traditionally supported law enforcement agencies with immigration issues at the border via logistics, surveillance, security and setting up temporary barriers or fencing, and they were not meant to come into contact with individuals crossing into the United States. But under Trump's second term, the U.S. military has continued to surge troops, armored vehicles, surveillance planes, warships and helicopters to assist in the southern border mission, even as the number of people attempting to enter the country has dropped dramatically. Read more at Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future: FBI investigating Israeli Embassy staffers' slayings as 'act of terror' The FBI is investigating the shooting of two Israeli Embassy aides outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night as an 'act of terror,' according to law enforcement. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a statement Thursday morning the incident has the 'full attention' of the bureau and pledged to pursue harsh penalties in the case, which he suggested could be an act of antisemitic violence. 'Last … CIA reports nonfatal shooting on its property A nonfatal shooting took place outside CIA headquarters in Virginia early Thursday morning, officials said. A CIA spokesperson said law enforcement responded to a 'security incident' outside headquarters in Langley. The main gate is closed until further notice, the spokesperson added. The Fairfax County Police Department said patrol officers responded to the scene at approximately 4 a.m. EDT 'to assist CIA Police with traffic … Israeli Embassy staff killed outside Jewish Museum in DC: What we know The fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., late Wednesday night drew an outpouring of grief as well as a global condemnation of antisemitic violence. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, were attending a reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Wednesday night at the Capital Jewish Museum when they were shot and killed. The two were both staffers at the Israeli … A MESSAGE FROM BOEING Our early warning aircraft are mission tested and battle ready to counter any threat across any horizon eliminating the distance between threats. Learn more. On Our Radar Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Judge says South Sudan deportation flight 'unquestionably' violated his order A federal judge said Wednesday the Trump administration violated his order when it boarded a group of migrants on a flight headed for South Sudan earlier this week and he will issue an order requiring it to be remedied. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled the flight ran afoul of his decision … On Tap Tomorrow Events in and around the defense world: What We're Reading News we've flagged from other outlets: A MESSAGE FROM BOEING Our early warning aircraft are mission tested and battle ready to counter any threat across any horizon eliminating the distance between threats. Learn more. Trending Today Two key stories on The Hill right now: Trump ratchets up battle with Harvard, foreign students: 5 takeaways The Trump administration intensified its battle with Harvard University on Thursday, revoking the storied college's ability to enroll foreign students … Read more House passes Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' in marathon overnight session House Republicans on Thursday morning passed a sweeping bill full of President Trump's legislative priorities, marking a major win for Speaker Mike … Read more Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DHS requests 20,000 National Guard troops to help with mass deportations
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested 20,000 National Guard troops to help with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement, a DHS official confirmed to The Hill Thursday. The department requested the Guard members from the Pentagon 'to help carry out the President's mandate from the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens,' DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. A Defense official also told The Hill that the Pentagon 'received a request' this week but was not able to share the contents because planning is in the initial stages and predecisional. The New York Times first reported on the request and was told Pentagon lawyers were reviewing it along with 'interior immigration enforcement.' It is unknown what role National Guard members would take in the immigration crackdown, such as whether they would be involved in rounding up and arresting people for deportation or just transportation or security. It's also unclear whether state governors would have to approve the plan or if President Trump would move to federalize the National Guard to take control of its troops. The last time the U.S. government did so was in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots, sparked by the police beating of Rodney King. The plan was quickly bashed by Democratic lawmakers including Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who said she was 'deeply disturbed' by Trump's 'abuse and misuse' of the U.S. military. 'Trump's DHS is asking for 20,000 National Guardsmen to assist with immigration enforcement within our nation's borders—something they've never been asked to do before and that is not part of the National Guard's mission,' she said in a statement. 'Not only does this undermine readiness and our national security, it also means Trump is testing the limits of how he can misuse our military against the American people,' Duckworth added. 'No one should believe that he will stop at immigrants if this plan moves forward.' National Guard troops at the state level have previously been asked to assist in deportations — notably in Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in February gave his Guard members the authority to arrest migrants — but this would mark the first time Guard troops at the national level have been asked to do so. The DHS request comes after Trump last week ordered the department to increase its deportation force by 20,000 officers, pulled from state or federal agencies. The commander in chief heavily campaigned on minimizing illegal immigration and removing immigrants in the United States without legal status, promising 'mass deportations.' Last month, Trump authorized the military to take control of federal land stretching across three states at the southern border and designate it as 'National Defense Areas' to assist in implementing his immigration crackdown. The move gave the military a more direct role in interacting with immigrants at the border, as it was given the authority to detain and search immigrants lacking certain documentation in New Mexico. In the past decade, National Guard troops have traditionally supported law enforcement agencies with immigration issues at the border via logistics, surveillance, security and setting up temporary barriers or fencing, and they were not meant to come into contact with individuals crossing into the United States. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
DHS requests 20,000 National Guard troops to help with mass deportations
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested 20,000 National Guard troops to help with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement, a DHS official confirmed to The Hill Thursday. DHS requested the Guard members from the Pentagon 'to help carry out the President's mandate from the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens,' department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. A defense official also told The Hill that the Pentagon has 'received a request' this week, but was not able to share the contents as they said planning is in the initial stages and pre-decisional. The New York Times first reported on the request, and was told Pentagon lawyers were reviewing it along with 'interior immigration enforcement.' It is unknown what role National Guard members would take in the immigration crackdown, such as whether they would be involved in rounding up and arresting people for deportation or just transportation or security. It's also unclear whether state governors would have to approve the plan or if President Trump would move to federalize the National Guard to take control of its troops. The last time the U.S. government did so was in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots, sparked by the police beating of Rodney King. The plan was quickly bashed by Democrat lawmakers including Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who said she was 'deeply disturbed' by Trump's 'abuse and misuse' of the U.S. military. 'Trump's DHS is asking for 20,000 National Guardsmen to assist with immigration enforcement within our nation's borders—something they've never been asked to do before and that is not part of the National Guard's mission,' she said in a statement. 'Not only does this undermine readiness and our national security, it also means Trump is testing the limits of how he can misuse our military against the American people,' Duckworth added. 'No one should believe that he will stop at immigrants if this plan moves forward.' National Guard troops at the state level have previously been asked to assist in deportations —notably in Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in February gave his Guard members the authority to arrest migrants — but this would mark the first time Guard troops at the national level have been asked to do so. The DHS request comes after Trump last week ordered the department to increase its deportation force by 20,000 officers, pulled from state or federal agencies. The commander-in-chief heavily campaigned on minimizing illegal immigration and removing migrants in the United States without legal status, promising 'mass deportations.' Last month, Trump authorized the military to take control of federal land stretching across three states at the southern border and designate it as 'National Defense Areas' to assist in implementing his immigration crackdown. The move gave the military a more direct role in interacting with migrants at the border, as they were given the authority to detain and search immigrants lacking certain documentation in New Mexico. In the past decade, National Guard troops have traditionally supported law enforcement agencies with immigration issues at the border via logistics, surveillance, security, and setting up temporary barriers or fencing, and were not meant to come into contact with individuals crossing into the United States.
