One thing is certain about President Trump – when he settles on a policy, he follows it through sometimes to a fault, and that’s no different with his intention to find as many people who are in our country illegally and deport them. But part of that policy is being able to charge anyone else who is caught during an illegal crossing — as rare as those have become — and charge them with something substantial.
Consider this: when someone points out that crossing the border without using a port of entry is illegal, Democrats invariably insist it’s merely a civil, not criminal, offense—even though felonies are on the books. So how do you address that without waiting for Congress to rewrite the laws—which, let’s face it, isn’t going to happen? Well, you figure out a way to deal with the situation, entirely within the law, of course, and Team Trump appears to have done that, much to the Democrats’ anguish.
Per the Washington Post, the Justice Department has initiated its first criminal prosecutions of migrants who enter a newly expanded military zone at the southern border, imposing additional penalties beyond the usual illegal-entry charge.
On Monday, at least 28 migrants were charged with unlawfully crossing into the “National Defense Area,” a 170-mile, 60-foot-wide strip along the New Mexico border that now functions as part of a U.S. military installation. In U.S. District Court in Las Cruces, prosecutors tacked on a new count of violating federal security regulations to the standard misdemeanor for illegal entry into the United States, the outlet added.
Each offense carries up to one year in prison. However, during a recent visit to the New Mexico border, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that migrants could face longer sentences under these expanded security rules. Standing on a dusty stretch of the zone last Friday, he displayed warning signs—posted in both English and Spanish—notifying migrants that crossing into the military area is prohibited.
It’s a savvy use of federal land. Because the U.S. owns portions of the New Mexico border, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated them as a “National Defense Area,” effectively converting them into a restricted military installation patrolled by U.S. troops. That immediately elevated unauthorized crossings to clear felony offenses, allowing federal authorities to bypass many procedural hurdles and pursue straightforward criminal prosecutions.
Like we said, it’s brilliant, and it’s another perfect example of how Trump is going to get what he wants one way or another, within the parameters of the law. If there are still people from other countries considering breaking into America, there is no better example of how bad of an idea that has become than the new Trump policy. Cue the Democratic anger machine in 3…2…1…
