The Trump administration announced an emergency transfer of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Army to help prevent illegal immigration, the Interior Department said on Tuesday. The move is part of President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown. He declared illegal immigration a national emergency in January and tasked the U.S. military with aiding in border security. The land, which crosses Hidalgo, Luna and Dona Ana counties in New Mexico, will be transferred to the Department of the Army for three years, the agency said, allowing for patrols by federal personnel and construction of infrastructure to prevent illegal crossings. The transfer will help curb drug and human trafficking and migrant smuggling, but is also aimed at protecting ecologically sensitive areas that can be harmed by foot traffic, it said.
