Trump Administration Sets Up ‘Military Zone’ At Texas Border To Bump Up Immigration Arrest Stats
from the malevolent-fuckery dept
There will never be enough casual evil with this administration. Trump has already invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify the extrajudicial renditioning of Venezuelan immigrants to a maximum security prison in [checks notes] El Salvador.
Claiming that the mere presence of foreign gang members is an act of war has allowed the DHS, CBP, and ICE to immediately purge people from the United States, even if some of those expelled are actual US citizens. Upgrading his pretend border “crisis” to a “war” has opened up the Trump playbook. While courts try in vain to keep up with daily developments, the administration continues to eject people from this country at an alarming pace.
The latest twist is declaring parts of the homeland to be “military zones.” Last month, the Overton Window was opened, with the Trump Administration declaring a 60-foot wide strip of land on the New Mexico-Mexico border to be a “military zone.”
When that resulted in minimal comment/lawsuits/national outrage, the Administration decided to go large, as Uriel Garcia reports for The Texas Tribune:
The Pentagon has created a second military zone in the El Paso area that U.S. soldiers will patrol as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on people crossing the southern border illegally, even as crossings are at a historic low.
In a statement Thursday, the military’s Northern Command said the latest military zone will be part of the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso. The military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported that the area stretches about 53 miles east to the border community of Fort Hancock, according to Maj. Geoffrey Carmichael, spokesman for the Joint Task Force – Southern Border.
So, what does this declaration mean? First, it adds US military personnel to the force policing the southern border in this area, which is definitely a police state-ish move — which also happens to be not only the sort of thing Trump likes, but something he’s openly advocating for.
Second, it means that anyone — US citizens included — are subject to criminal charges if they enter this “military zone.” That’s something that’s impossible to avoid doing, since it covers border crossings (where legal border crossings take place) as well as areas US citizens have historically been allowed to access.
Broad claims about “border invasions” and lies about Venezeulan government-backed gang activity are the only things offered in support of these military zones and Trump’s Alien Enemies Act abuses. However, there’s no “invasion” at the border, as anyone willing to merely look at the data can attest:
In March, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported encountering 1,627 migrants in the El Paso sector, which includes all of New Mexico’s border as well as El Paso and Hudspeth counties in West Texas. That’s an 87% decrease from August 2024, when the downward trend began.
There’s nothing happening here, which makes the administration’s claims even more specious than they always have been. And remember what I said about this law forbidding US citizens from entering the recently declared “military zones?” Don’t worry too much about that, white folks. Trump never meant for it to be used against you.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico says a total of 82 people have been charged through Thursday for unauthorized entry into the military’s new buffer zone along the border with Mexico.
[…]
Migrants have been arrested on charges of unlawful entry of military property since at least April 24 – though technically anyone, including U.S. citizens, could face sanctions.
It’s all about the hate. It has nothing to do with national security, border security, invasions, acts of war, or even just bigots being bigots. This is performance art from a guy who can’t handle finger paints who has decided being a bully with the world’s largest bullhorn is what will finally force even those who hate him to bend a knee. The shift towards a police state continues. And at some point, it will no longer just be minorities who need to fear what this country is becoming.
Filed Under: cbp, dhs, donald trump, el paso, ice, immigration, police state
