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Trump Administration Sets Up ‘Military Zone’ At Texas Border To Bump Up Immigration Arrest Stats
from the malevolent-fuckery dept
There will never be enough casual evil with this administration. Trump has already invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify the extrajudicial renditioning of Venezuelan immigrants to a maximum security prison in [checks notes] El Salvador.
Claiming that the mere presence of foreign gang members is an act of war has allowed the DHS, CBP, and ICE to immediately purge people from the United States, even if some of those expelled are actual US citizens. Upgrading his pretend border “crisis” to a “war” has opened up the Trump playbook. While courts try in vain to keep up with daily developments, the administration continues to eject people from this country at an alarming pace.
The latest twist is declaring parts of the homeland to be “military zones.” Last month, the Overton Window was opened, with the Trump Administration declaring a 60-foot wide strip of land on the New Mexico-Mexico border to be a “military zone.”
When that resulted in minimal comment/lawsuits/national outrage, the Administration decided to go large, as Uriel Garcia reports for The Texas Tribune:
The Pentagon has created a second military zone in the El Paso area that U.S. soldiers will patrol as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on people crossing the southern border illegally, even as crossings are at a historic low.
In a statement Thursday, the military’s Northern Command said the latest military zone will be part of the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso. The military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported that the area stretches about 53 miles east to the border community of Fort Hancock, according to Maj. Geoffrey Carmichael, spokesman for the Joint Task Force – Southern Border.
So, what does this declaration mean? First, it adds US military personnel to the force policing the southern border in this area, which is definitely a police state-ish move — which also happens to be not only the sort of thing Trump likes, but something he’s openly advocating for.
Second, it means that anyone — US citizens included — are subject to criminal charges if they enter this “military zone.” That’s something that’s impossible to avoid doing, since it covers border crossings (where legal border crossings take place) as well as areas US citizens have historically been allowed to access.
Broad claims about “border invasions” and lies about Venezeulan government-backed gang activity are the only things offered in support of these military zones and Trump’s Alien Enemies Act abuses. However, there’s no “invasion” at the border, as anyone willing to merely look at the data can attest:
In March, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported encountering 1,627 migrants in the El Paso sector, which includes all of New Mexico’s border as well as El Paso and Hudspeth counties in West Texas. That’s an 87% decrease from August 2024, when the downward trend began.
There’s nothing happening here, which makes the administration’s claims even more specious than they always have been. And remember what I said about this law forbidding US citizens from entering the recently declared “military zones?” Don’t worry too much about that, white folks. Trump never meant for it to be used against you.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico says a total of 82 people have been charged through Thursday for unauthorized entry into the military’s new buffer zone along the border with Mexico.
[…]
Migrants have been arrested on charges of unlawful entry of military property since at least April 24 – though technically anyone, including U.S. citizens, could face sanctions.
It’s all about the hate. It has nothing to do with national security, border security, invasions, acts of war, or even just bigots being bigots. This is performance art from a guy who can’t handle finger paints who has decided being a bully with the world’s largest bullhorn is what will finally force even those who hate him to bend a knee. The shift towards a police state continues. And at some point, it will no longer just be minorities who need to fear what this country is becoming.
Filed Under: cbp, dhs, donald trump, el paso, ice, immigration, police state
Comments on “Trump Administration Sets Up ‘Military Zone’ At Texas Border To Bump Up Immigration Arrest Stats”
Repeat after me: 'I was just following orders' was not and never will be a valid excuse
The Pentagon has created a second military zone in the El Paso area that U.S. soldiers will patrol as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on people crossing the southern border illegally, even as crossings are at a historic low.
In a statement Thursday, the military’s Northern Command said the latest military zone will be part of the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso. The military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported that the area stretches about 53 miles east to the border community of Fort Hancock, according to Maj. Geoffrey Carmichael, spokesman for the Joint Task Force – Southern Border.
And just like that a good chunk of the US military have failed the most important test of their lives and military careers: ‘When it’s fascists giving the orders, will you refuse or will you comply and bank on ‘I was just following orders’ working the second time around?’
Re:
There is a reason the U.S. does not accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. Those soldiers are safe from prosecution until the U.S. signs a declaration of capitulation. And that is not going to happen as long as it has the backing of its allies in, uh, Russia? And probably Israel: they have compatible views about human rights for people you don’t like.
The axis of depravity.
Re: Re: Don't sweat it
The remaining citizens will ensure military personnel disregarding the constitution will be properly charged and punished in accordance with American laws.
Re:
That line didn’t fly in Nuremberg. It won’t fly now.
Re: Re:
Which was the exact point That One Guy was clearly making. 🤦♂️
Re:
There has never been any unwanted consequences for them doing so. Ever.
You have to lose a global war to someone else and then only a handful of officers will be charged. And if you’re smart enough, you can even get free housing with them.
And the maga crowd will continue to support it, right up until it it’s personally their turn. And even then the excuses will continue; “This is all Biden’s fault somehow.”
One of my close relatives, an Army officer, is now stationed in the area and spends his days driving around in a rented car, presumably patrolling a huge area where NOTHING is happening. Apparently, many soldiers are assigned similar duties, each with their own rental car. What a waste of manpower and money! Every time Trump opens his mouth, he orders something stupider than the last time he opened it.
Re: Wasteful and inefficient spending? Sounds like a case for DOGE
If they’re traveling around in rental cars as opposed to military vehicles then someone needs to do some digging into the financials because that positively reeks of a scam to secure a kickback.
Re:
A rental car? That sounds exactly like they are using their cheap labor to embezzle and launder taxpayer money.
Re:
Where’s DOGE when you need it? Oh, right…
Re:
Where are DOGE when you need them? Oh, (on the far) right…
It’s a regime not an administration. Stop treating the nazi rapist as anything other than anti American dictator who is usurping power and broken his oaths.
Yep, waste and fraud are way… uh, up.
Good...
As long as they remember Musk is an immigrant.
Re: this is different
Well, you have to remember that Musk is an expressly white South African. Those are a special group, and there is now a special agency to assist them in matters of migration from there to the states.
Things would be different if he were of darker complexion.
Re:
That’s not really the point. The point is that Musk is an immigrant who has aided and abetted Trump in the commission of various crimes, but he won’t be deported to an El Salvadorian hellhole despite all his tattoos because he’s a white MAGAt.
The more this goes on, the more the possibility that the military will side with the constitution over the president diminishes. And if he can count on the military, he can do anything he wants.
Re:
Why was there ever any doubt they’d ever refuse to do what the president demands? The military is purposely conditioned to do whatever someone higher up on the totem pole tells them to. And they’ll do it with sadistic glee.
If you needed an example, look up Kent State.
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With the Constitution Free Zone, you need, if you can afford one, a Sansung phone with booby trap mode so that is your phone is seized LEOs cannot access your phone.
Too many failed passwords and your phone gets wiped and cannot be set up without your google password and is not good for anything other than incoming calls.
Is this, like, a ‘point scoring’ thing? Your score goes up if you imprison or kill anyone your constituency doesn’t like? Bonus points for hitting muslims, Mexicans, and insurance CEOs, negative points for protesting police brutality or genocide?
Because if it is, I can think of a few people who’d be worth a lot of bonus points.
Who is the real architect?
Who is really coming up with these loopholes? Trump is neither smart enough nor well informed to create such clever endruns, just gleefully agreeing to sign off on someone else’s work. Which advisor is the Kissinger-type hatemonger really doing the work and causing the pain?
Re:
Miller.
If I was Mexico, I’d probably be mobilizing my own troops to patrol the border to counteract any “mistakes” by US forces crossing the border themselves. The US has a history of acquiring land from Mexico by force.
It was inevitable...
Low-key posse comitatus!
It was only a matter of time before Trump brought the US miliary to bear on US citizens.
That 1st batch
Arnt we paying about $40k Per Person to keep them in jail, that was what I heard.
So, if we are sending Current ones BACK, to Where? And this is costing HOW MUCH?
Waiting to Hear, that the REASON they arnt being brought back. Is because its being faked And hte Money is going into MANY POCKETS. Really.
And once sent there is only 2 things that will happen(there is a 3rd). After Trumpet is done, they will be released, They have been Killed or will be. And the 3rd, no money is being sent to HOLD them in Jail so they get released or killed.
In all of this, What does the USA Gain? Nothing. They will start getting Rides on Ships to Asia, to do the work over there and NOT in the USA. OR Start revolutions In South America, WHICH the USA will Crumble, as we have done before.