The Trump administration announced plans on Wednesday to add another military reinforcement zone along the southern border, this time in California, as part of a sweeping policy to intensify border enforcement with Mexico on an unprecedented scale.

The Interior Department stated it would cede jurisdiction over a significant portion of the California-Mexico border to the Navy "to enhance the historic role that public lands have played in defending our nation's sovereignty."

The Interior Department described the newly designated national defense zone in California as an area where illegal border crossings by immigrants are frequent.

This action will place a substantial portion of the border under the supervision of nearby military bases, allowing U.S. troops to detain undocumented immigrants and circumvent laws that prohibit military involvement in civilian law enforcement.

This measure is being implemented under the border emergency that President Donald Trump declared on his first day in office.

This military strategy was first tested in April along a 170-mile stretch of the New Mexico border and has since been extended to parts of the Texas and Arizona borders.

The newly designated military zone spans nearly from the Arizona state line to the Otay Mountain Wilderness area, cutting across the Imperial Valley and border communities, and includes Tecate, California (an unincorporated area) bordering its Mexican city namesake.

More than 7,000 troops have been deployed to the border with various equipment, including helicopters, drones, and surveillance gear.

These zones allow U.S. troops to apprehend immigrants and other individuals accused of trespassing on Army, Air Force, or Navy bases.

Arrested individuals could face additional criminal charges, which may result in jail time.

U.S. officials say these zones will help close loopholes in border enforcement and aid in the broader war against human trafficking organizations and ruthless drug cartels.

"By working with the Navy to address long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening our national defense, preventing the illegal use of public lands and advancing the President's policies," said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a press release.

The announcement of the new military zone designation came the same day a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to withdraw California National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles and return control of those troops to the state.

California sued after President Trump mobilized more than 4,000 California National Guard members in June to bolster immigration enforcement without the approval of Governor Gavin Newsom.

US NNP=Reporter Hong Sung-goo / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com