The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it plans to create a militarized zone along the U.S.-Mexico border in California to support border security operations for three years, the latest in a controversial series of moves aimed at securing the border amid the government’s immigration crackdown.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a written statementthat the agency plans to transfer about 760 acres of public land in San Diego and Imperial counties to the Department of the Navy, which will established a National Defense Area to support border operations.
It’s the first time in decades that a large swath of public land has been transferred from the federal government to the military to establish a militarized zone along the U.S-Mexico border in California.
But the Trump administration had taken similar actions elsewhere along the border this year — including in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas — as part of a larger campaign that included sending thousands of troops and military gear to the area. Border crossings have hit new lows since Trump took office. In September, Southwest border apprehensions totaled 11,647, compared to 101,790 for the same month in 2024.
Some local officials expressed concern about the move.
San Diego County Supervisor Chair Terra Lawson-Remer said the federal government’s action is unnecessary, unwanted and threatens basic principles like the rule of law and civil liberties that are vital to a democracy.
“To be honest, this is a pathetic, political agitprop designed to distract from the affordability crisis that Americans are facing every single day in the grocery store and in our day-to-day lives,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego), whose district includes a portion of the U.S-Mexico border, lambasted Trump over the move.
“I have serious concerns about repeated attempts to blur the lines between the military and immigration enforcement, and this is just the latest example,” Vargas said. “None of this makes us safer as a nation. It’s all about a show of force with the goal of terrorizing immigrants and our communities. Our troops deserve better and our public lands shouldn’t be militarized in the name of Trump’s disgusting anti-immigrant agenda.”
Tom Hawk, chair for the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The administration’s move may end up being another flashpoint between California and Trump over immigration policies. In June, Trump began a public crackdown in Los Angeles on undocumented workers, sending heavily armed, masked agents across the Southland to pick up suspected undocumented workers wherever they could be found. After the raids were met with large demonstrations, the administration ordered the National Guard and U.S. Marines to the city, exacerbating tension between residents and law enforcement and initiating legal battles that lasted months.
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration must immediately end the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles.
Burgum said Wednesday the new California zone is about securing the border.
“President Trump has made it clear that securing our border and restoring American sovereignty are top national priorities,” Burgum said. “By working with the Navy to close long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening national defense, protecting our public lands from unlawful use, and advancing the President’s agenda to put the safety and security of the American people first.”
Burgum said the new militarized zone will stretch one mile west of the California-Arizona state line to the western edge of the Otay Mountain Wilderness. The public land was reserved by President Theodore Roosevelt for border protection purposes.
Civil rights groups say the National Defense Areas pose new threats to immigrants and American citizens. The American Civil Liberties Union claimed citizens could be arrested and charged for trespassing. Meanwhile, noncitizens suspected of being in the country illegally could face other criminal charges such as unauthorized entry into a military property and willful violation of a security regulation.
The Associated Press reported the designation empowering U.S. troops to apprehend immigrants and others accused of trespassing on Army, Air Force or Navy bases, and authorizing additional criminal charges that can mean prison time.
Burgum said his agency and the U.S. Navy coordinated closely to ensure the action was lawful and targeted.
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