The Trump administration will transfer hundreds of acres of land in California to the Department of the Navy as part of a border security effort. The militarized zone, consisting of 760 acres of public land in San Diego and Imperial Counties, California, will last for three years.
“President Trump has made it clear that securing our border and restoring American sovereignty are top national priorities,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a statement. “This action delivers on that commitment. 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.”
According to the Department of the Interior, the area consists of the “western boundary of the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area to about one mile west of the California–Arizona state line” and is known for high levels of illegal border crossings. The area was originally reserved by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907 for border protection efforts and will be used by the Navy to “strengthen operational capabilities while reducing ecological harm associated with sustained illegal activity,” the Department explained.
Similarly, the Department of Defense announced earlier this year that it created a new military buffer zone in Texas to bolster border security. The zone stretches 250 miles along the Rio Grande River in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties and aligns with President Donald Trump’s memorandum directing the military to seal the southern border.
