With 160-170 Marines now deployed at the Campo Border Patrol station, just miles from the Tecate/California border, a distinct shift in the presence and role of the military along the southern border has emerged under the Trump administration's policy directives. According to a CBS 8 report, locals have noticed Marines reinforcing the border barrier, chiefly by installing concertina wire, as a deterrent to illegal border crossings, these operations conducted out of the Customs and Border Protection station have brought some sense of relief to area residents, yet they also underscore the complex dialogue about military operations on U.S. soil.
In response to these actions, Governor Gavin Newsom's office has expressed concern regarding the potential overreach and consequences of such military involvement. "Stephan Miller’s quotas are pulling Border Patrol agents hundreds of miles away from the southern border, resulting in terrifying encounters captured on video. Now it appears Marines are being forced to backfill those border slots," said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, deputy director of communications, in a statement reported by CBS 8. The Marines, while equipped with rifles for self-defense, have not been reported to detain anyone, aligning with their claim that their primary role remains one of reinforcement rather than direct enforcement.
CalMatters further reported on the situation, noting that the Marines are involved in patrols and the Trump administration has declared a 60-foot-wide federal land strip along the border as a "military installation." Governor Newsom's legal actions against the federalization of the National Guard and the deployment of Marines, especially in Los Angeles, have brought these activities into the legal spotlight, a clash that has characterized the growing tensions between state and federal oversight of military and law enforcement.
