United States | News & Politics

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has authorized several unprecedented military actions and territorial claims:

Border Militarization:

• Transferred control of the Roosevelt Reservation, a 60-foot-wide strip along the US-Mexico border, to the Department of Defense in April 2025[^1]
• Established "National Defense Areas" in New Mexico and Texas, treating them as military installations where troops can detain migrants[^1]
• Deployed over 10,000 troops to patrol and monitor the border[^10]

Los Angeles Military Deployment:

• Federalized California National Guard troops in June 2025 over Governor Newsom's objections[^11]
• Deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles following immigration protests[^11]
• A June 19 appeals court ruling upheld Trump's authority to deploy troops in American cities[^20]

Territorial Claims:

• Refused to rule out military force to seize control of Greenland from Denmark[^14]
• Threatened military action to retake control of the Panama Canal[^14]
• Proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America"[^14]

Legal Framework:

• Administration argues military activities at border are legal under "military purpose doctrine" exception to Posse Comitatus Act[^1]
• Critics say actions violate constitutional limits on military involvement in domestic law enforcement[^1]
• Brennan Center called the border militarization "a transparent ruse to evade the Posse Comitatus Act"[^1]

[^1]: Huffpost - Trump Is Quietly Using The U.S. Military In A Whole New Way

[^10]: Newsweek - Donald Trump expands US military role at southern border

[^11]: CNN - Trump seizes on Los Angeles protests in contentious use of military amid migrant crackdown

[^14]: AP News - Trump refuses to rule out use of military force to take control of Greenland and Panama Canal

[^20]: The Conversation - Appeals court ruling grants Donald Trump broad powers to deploy troops to American cities