President Donald Trump has officially ordered the U.S. Army to take control of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the southern border in New Mexico, marking a decisive escalation in his war on illegal immigration.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) confirmed Tuesday that it transferred control of the land to the Department of the Army, following Trump’s directive to deploy the military to fortify the U.S.-Mexico border. The move gives the Army broad authority to construct defensive infrastructure, disrupt cartel operations, and stop illegal crossings in one of the nation’s most trafficked corridors.

“Securing our border and protecting our nation’s resources go hand in hand,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “The American people gave President Trump a mandate to make America safe and strong again.”

That mandate is being enforced with urgency. On Friday, Trump ordered the Secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security to implement a full-scale military operation to secure the border within 45 days. The order grants the Secretary of Defense the power to expand operations to other federal lands as needed.

A statement from the DOI made clear what this mission is all about: combatting illegal immigration, foreign terrorist threats, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and environmental destruction caused by mass border crossings.

“The transfer of land will facilitate military engagement to prevent unauthorized human activity in ecologically sensitive areas,” DOI officials stated. These areas have been overwhelmed by illegal crossings that lead to trash pollution, fire risk, and damage to fragile desert ecosystems.

The Army will now play a frontline role in border enforcement—something the Biden administration refused to do. Trump’s strategy is not just a show of force. It’s a practical, necessary response to the complete failure of open border policies that led to record-breaking illegal migration and fentanyl deaths.

According to the White House, the military will support U.S. Border Patrol operations while deploying resources to track and disrupt cartel smuggling networks. This includes building infrastructure, running patrols, and maintaining full situational control of federally owned lands once used as smuggling routes and illegal crossings.

The move echoes Trump’s broader shift toward national security-first immigration policy. Under his leadership, border crossings have plummeted. And now, the administration is using every tool available—including military power—to seal the border once and for all.

This is more than a policy change. It’s a hard reset. For years, illegal immigrants, traffickers, and violent cartels have used the southern border as a revolving door into the U.S. That era is ending.

As Trump made clear in his order, the time for action is now—and this time, the U.S. Army is answering the call.