Migrants and asylum seekers who have crossed into a newly established military zone along the nation’s border with Mexico have their first criminal prosecutions in the US.
According to court filings made on Monday and reviewed by US media the day after, approximately 28 people have been accused of breaking security laws for entering the military zone.
Although a misdemeanor, that charge could result in even worse penalties. According to the US Code, breaking security laws can result in fines of up to $100, 000 for individuals or a year in prison, or both.
The consequences of unlawful entry into the US are typically less severe. Critics, however, warn of the growing militarisation of the southern border region that includes Mexico as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its immigration crackdown.
The “New Mexico National Defense Area” was established on April 18 to facilitate the new charges.
Fort Huachuca, an Army installation that was previously owned by the Department of the Interior, was ordered by the Department of Defense to include 109, 651 acres (44, 400 hectares) of federal land.
A border land border area near Mexico becomes a US military zone as a result of the transfer’s three-year effective period. Trespassing is a serious offense punishable by serious consequences. This military area notably overlaps with the routes that illegal immigrants and asylum seekers use to enter the US without proper paperwork.
Despite US and international law, which protects the right to flee persecution, successive presidential administrations have attempted to impose a cap on asylum seekers entering the country outside of authorized ports of entry.
One of the deterrents has been the threat of more severe penalties.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the recently established military zone last week and praised the strip as a new front against an “invasion” of migrants and asylum seekers.
“This is a piece of government property.” Federal property is present in the National Defense Area, which was formerly known as the Fort Huachuca annex zone. Hegseth said any illegal entry into that area would mean entering a military base, which is a federally protected area.
You could be held in custody. You will be held in custody. Border patrol and US troops working together will interdict you.
An estimated 11, 900 soldiers have been stationed at the border as a result of the Trump administration’s increase in troops since January.
Hegseth revealed during his visit that he intends to establish additional military berths along the US border to protect against illegal immigration. He emphasized the dangers of lengthy prison sentences and complex criminal prosecutions.
“You will be monitored if you are a crossing without permission.” US soldiers will be in custody with you. He predicted that you would be temporarily detained and turned over to Customs and Border Patrol.
The government’s property is destroyed if you have jumped over or cut through a fence. Like you would any other military base, you are evading law enforcement if you have attempted to evade. When you add up the charges against you for misdemeanors and felonies, you could face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The first group to pass through the military zone, according to him, is “can’t wait to prosecute” New Mexico’s attorney general.
The new tactic is opposed by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, which claim military deployments to address civil offenses pose a risk to human rights.
The expansion of military detention options in the “New Mexico National Defence Area” or “border buffer zone” is a dangerous omission from the constitutional principle that the military should not be policing civilians, according to senior staff attorney Rebecca Sheff of the organization.
Beyond the government’s efforts to limit irregular immigration, Sheff added, there might be unintended effects.
Source: Aljazeera
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