The Pentagon revealed on Wednesday plans to create a large military buffer zone in Texas, aiming to enhance border security, even as illegal crossings hit record lows. This new area, referred to as the National Defense Area (NDA), will stretch along the Rio Grande in Cameron and Hidalgo counties, featuring temporary barriers and signs to secure the perimeter.
Members of the Joint Task Force South Border, under Northcom’s oversight, will manage the zone. While they aren’t tasked with enforcing laws, they do hold the power to detain individuals who cross illegally and transfer them to border patrol officials.
This NDA will be positioned on land assigned by the International Boundary Water Commission and is governed by a joint base in San Antonio, as stated by the Air Force. It marks the latest in a series of NDAs put in place to bolster interagency cooperation and reinforce security operations along the southern US borders.
A similar 170-mile NDA was established in New Mexico back in April, with additional zones created around Fort Huachuca in Arizona and Fort Bliss in May, resulting in a combined total exceeding 480 miles. The Air Force commented, “These efforts highlight USNORTHCOM’s ongoing mission as the Department of Defense’s lead for national defense, safeguarding the integrity of the US border.”
In a related development, a 100-mile NDA will also be established in Arizona, according to a report by ABC News citing US officials. Fox News Digital reached out to the Pentagon for confirmation regarding this information.
Even with the implementation of this NDA, judges dismissed the requests of 98 illegal immigrants who crossed into the New Mexico zone last month, indicating they were unaware of entering a military area, as documented in court files.
This new Texas NDA comes amid ongoing efforts during the Trump administration to tackle record numbers of illegal crossings. From June 1 to June 22, there were reportedly 5,414 encounters at the border, particularly concentrated in the El Paso sector, with another 986 incidents classified as “Gotaways.” These figures represent some of the lowest numbers recorded to date.
In May, just under 9,000 illegal immigrants were documented at the border, in stark contrast to the approximately 118,000 reported during the Biden administration, according to CBP data. When President Trump assumed office in January, he recorded 9,086 encounters within the first 11 days, and since then, numbers have generally remained low or consistent.
At one point in 2023, nearly 10,000 immigrants were illegally entering the US each day, facilitated by the ability to apply for asylum through the CBP One app.
Border official Tom Homan mentioned that zero illegal immigrants were allowed into the US in May.
