Secretary of the Inside Transfers Federal Lands Alongside New Mexico Border to the Military to Defend Assets

Date: April 15, 2025
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Inside Doug Burgum traveled to New Mexico right now to announce the emergency withdrawal and switch of administrative jurisdiction over roughly 109,651 acres of federal land alongside the U.S.-Mexico border. The land can be transferred to the Division of the Military for a interval of three years, topic to legitimate present rights. 

This motion is meant to safeguard delicate pure and cultural assets within the area whereas enabling the Division of the Military to help U.S. Border Patrol operations in securing the border and stopping unlawful immigration. 

“Securing our border and defending our nation’s assets go hand in hand,” stated Division of the Inside Secretary Doug Burgum. “The American folks gave President Trump a mandate to make America protected and powerful once more. This switch displays Inside’s dedication to public security, nationwide safety and accountable stewardship of our public lands.” 

The Division of the Military requested the withdrawal and switch of those lands on an emergency foundation to permit for the rise in common patrols by federal personnel, building of infrastructure to forestall illegal entry, disrupt overseas terrorist threats to the U.S., and to curb unlawful cross-border actions, similar to illegal migration, narcotics trafficking, migrant smuggling, and human trafficking. President Donald J. Trump declared a nationwide emergency earlier this 12 months alongside the southern border and directed members of his Administration to take swift motion to fight all criminality inside the area. 

The disaster alongside the border isn’t restricted to nationwide safety and legislation enforcement considerations but additionally presents an environmental disaster. On this area, the Bureau of Land Administration manages these public lands below its a number of use and sustained yield necessities. These lands function habitat for 23 federally endangered species and are the house of cultural websites that vary from small artifact scatters to massive multi-room pueblos. Switch of the administration of this land to the Military will facilitate army engagement to forestall unauthorized human exercise in ecologically delicate areas alongside the southern border, which might be harmed by repeated foot visitors, unregulated car use, and the creation of casual trails or camps. Excessive-traffic unlawful crossings can result in soil erosion, injury to fragile desert vegetation and significant wildlife habitat, loss and injury to cultural assets, elevated fireplace danger and air pollution from trash and human waste.  

Moreover, switch of the administration of those lands to the Military will permit the army to help the Border Patrol to assemble and keep border safety infrastructure with out delays or conflicts that may include competing land makes use of or claims, serving to management migration flows. 

Inside acknowledges that among the acres transferred to the Division of the Military are important to the livelihoods of communities in that space. The Bureau of Land Administration will work with the Division of the Military to make sure that some makes use of will proceed to help native grazing and mining.

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