US creates new military zone on Mexico border to crackdown on illegal immigrants

The new military zone has been designated as the “Texas National Defense Area," by the Trump administration as they continue their crackdown against migrants

The United States armed forces have created a second military zone along the Mexican border, including adding an area in Texas where migrants or trespassers can be temporarily detained, reported Reuters.

The US military has formed the Texas National Defense Area to allow temporary detainment of illegal immigrants on the Mexican border (AFP FILE)

This latest move in Trump's immigration crackdown, comes after the administration designated a 6-foot-wide strip along a base in New Mexico as a “National Defense Area. The new military zone has also been designated as the “Texas National Defense Area.”

The Trump administration has also increased troops at the southern border in service of the President's aggressive plans to deport millions of illegal immigrants from the United States.

Donald Trump's administration has overseen a massive surge in deportations, setting a new record in the first quarter of 2025.

According to data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), more than 271,000 individuals have been removed from the country, the highest number in nearly a decade.

More than 80 per cent of the deportations took place at the US-Mexico border, while deportations from the interior regions of the country also rose significantly.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) has targeted undocumented migrants from across the globe, with particular emphasis on Latin American countries like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Additionally ICE reported that there was a 334 per cent jump in the number of individuals deported without criminal convictions.

There has also been a sharp increase in the deportation of Asian people, with around 1,500 Indian nationals deported in the first half of 2025.