The U.S. Interior this week announced the transfer of close to 110,000 acres along New Mexico’s southern border to the U.S. Army. According to a news release, the transfer is intended to “safeguard sensitive natural and cultural resources in the region while enabling the Department of the Army to support U.S. Border Patrol operations in securing the border and preventing illegal immigration.”
The transfer follows a memorandum President Donald Trump signed last week directing several agencies to start militarizing a stretch of the southern border, an escalation of the administration’s use of the U.S. military amid its immigration crackdown.
“Securing our border and protecting our nation’s resources go hand in hand,” Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “The American people gave President Trump a mandate to make America safe and strong again. This transfer reflects Interior’s commitment to public safety, national security and responsible stewardship of our public lands.”
According to the Interior, the transfer came at the Army’s request “to allow for the increase in regular patrols by federal personnel, construction of infrastructure to prevent unlawful entry, disrupt foreign terrorist threats to the U.S., and to curb illegal cross-border activities, such as unlawful migration, narcotics trafficking, migrant smuggling, and human trafficking.”
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) whose congressional district includes the state’s border towns, earlier this week condemned Trump’s move to militarize the border “misguided and wasteful.” In a statement provided to Source, Vasquez said: “Deploying military assets to the border, during a record time of low crossing numbers, is a misguided and wasteful use of military resources and taxpayer dollars. As a lifelong border resident who has spent years working with border stakeholders, I can tell you that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work—and in some places, including parts of New Mexico’s Bootheel, this kind of made-for-TV stunt does little to nothing to solve our nation’s broken immigration system.”
The Interior news release notes that the “crisis along the border” also includes an “environmental crisis,” noting that the area along the border hosts 23 federally endangered species as well as cultural sites “that range from small artifact scatters to large multi-room pueblos. Transfer of the management of this land to the Army will facilitate military engagement to prevent unauthorized human activity in ecologically sensitive areas along the southern border, which can be harmed by repeated foot traffic, unregulated vehicle use, and the creation of informal trails or camps.” In addition, “high-traffic illegal crossings can lead to soil erosion, damage to fragile desert vegetation and critical wildlife habitat, loss and damage to cultural resources, increased fire risk and pollution from trash and human waste.”
Two service members deployed to the border were killed earlier this week, and one was injured, in a vehicle accident near Santa Teresa.
In a statement following the accident, Vasquez said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two service members today near Santa Teresa. My thoughts are with their families, loved ones, and fellow service members during this difficult time. With the recent deployments to and the new mission at the Southern border, we must fully review the circumstances surrounding this incident. We owe it to them—and all who serve—to ensure their safety is never compromised.”
Last updated 11:48 a.m., Apr. 17, 2025
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