The Defense Department is creating two new expanded military zones along the U.S.-Mexico border — one in Texas and the other in Arizona — as part of an effort to further crack down on illegal immigration, reports The New York Times.

A Defense Department official confirmed the report to The Hill, saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the heads of the Air Force and Navy “to take necessary action to establish National Defense Areas along the U.S.-Mexico border.”

“DoD’s new jurisdiction over these stretches of land and river will enhance the authority of the Department to secure the U.S. southern border from unlawful entry and to maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States,” the official said in a statement.

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