In the heart of the Texas desert, a Stryker is parked near a stretch of border wall. The light but powerful eight-wheeled combat vehicle was used in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars – and now it is being used to stop what US President Donald Trump has called an “invasion” at the US-Mexico border.
The Stryker is just one of about 100 such vehicles being used along the 3,100 km border. In addition, it is estimated there are over 8,000 soldiers, as well as spy planes and drones, and two Navy ships monitoring the coast.
A few kilometers away on the Mexican side of the border, a young man standing on top of a hill is one of the few signs of this so-called “invasion.” He is what Border Patrol agents call a “hawk,” the ones who monitor and decide when and where to encourage migrants to cross into the United States.
But those crossings – not long ago at an all time high – have slowed to a trickle, as Trump has cracked down on illegal immigration. The declining numbers have raised questions about Trump’s border tactics, which include an unprecedented deployment of American military power.
Migrants caught crossing into these areas would be considered trespassers and may be temporarily detained by US soldiers until Border Patrol agents arrive.
“It’s exactly what the administration is trying to set up here: to turn up to a third of the southern border into a military installation,” she told BBC Mundo. “When someone enters the area and is detained, they can argue that the primary reason for doing so is to protect the base.”
The military command insists that its mission is to detain and alert border agents so they can make the official arrest – not to do domestic police work.
The Trump administration argues the expanded military areas are necessary for national security, and points to its decisive election victory as a mandate. Stronger border security was a key Trump campaign promise and one of the biggest issues for voters.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the new areas “will enhance our ability to detect, interdict and prosecute the illegal aliens, criminal gangs, and terrorists who were able to invade our country.”
“It will also reinforce our defenses against fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics that have been poisoning our communities,” she added.
