U.S. declares military zone around El Paso, allowing soldiers to arrest migrants

The Rio Grande, which marks the U.S.-Mexico border, is covered in concertina wire in El Paso on May 27, 2024. (Credit: Paul Ratje for the Texas Tribune)

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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.