Summary

Trump is planning to establish a militarized buffer zone along the southern border in New Mexico.

The plan involves deploying active-duty troops authorized to detain migrants crossing illegally, creating a military installation circumventing the Posse Comitatus Act.

Previous calls to militarize the border have been mostly rhetorical, but the current administration appears more determined.

Unlike past defense secretaries who resisted similar plans, Trump’s current defense secretary is expected to be compliant.