A new militarized border zone was designated in California, expanding a strategy first tested in New Mexico and later extended to Texas and Arizona, now including the California border with Mexico with Navy involvement to bolster enforcement.

The California zone covers a broad stretch from the Arizona line to the Otay Mountain Wilderness, including Imperial Valley and Tecate, and is supported by more than 7,000 troops, helicopters, drones, and other surveillance assets.

The approach began in an 170-mile corridor in New Mexico and quickly spread, with California joining the expansion as part of a broader federal effort to close security gaps and advance the administration's immigration agenda.

The policy unfolds amid ongoing political tension between federal actions and California leadership, including disagreements with Governor Newsom over National Guard deployments and immigration enforcement.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the measures are designed to close security gaps, protect public lands, and strengthen national defense, aligning with the President's immigration priorities.

Officials describe the California zone as part of a coordinated federal strategy that mirrors earlier deployments in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona, with Navy involvement to reinforce enforcement and land protection.

The administration emphasizes collaboration with the Navy to close security gaps and bolster public lands defense while advancing immigration policy.

Officials characterize the California zone as a high-traffic area for unlawful crossings, at a time when southern-border arrests have slowed to their weakest pace since the 1960s amid the mass deportation push.

Supporters argue the slowed border crossings underscore the need for intensified enforcement under the broader federal strategy.

The new announcement comes as a federal judge ordered the California National Guard to stop deployments in Los Angeles and return control to the state, highlighting ongoing federal-state tensions over immigration enforcement.

Earlier, Trump mobilized more than 4,000 California National Guard troops without Governor Newsom's approval to advance immigration enforcement efforts.

The developments occur alongside an emergency declaration and legal disputes over the legality of military enforcement on U.S. soil, fueling debate about the constitutionality and politicization of the mission.