The $893 billion defense policy bill that passed the House of Representatives last week would grant the Department of Defense unprecedented new authority to deploy private military contractors to the United States’ southern border.
A provision in the legislation, tacked on in a July amendment, for the first time gives the Defense Secretary authority to outsource the agency’s work at the border, a proposal that critics warn could prove a bonanza for the shadowy mercenary and private security firms that work with the Pentagon, often with little public transparency.
The provision was drafted by a lawmaker who has received significant contributions from defense industry giants, including Lockheed Martin and RTX (formerly Raytheon). While the language was included in the final text of the House bill, the Senate has yet to pass a final version, so it’s not clear whether the proposal will advance to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The push comes as the lines between military operations and immigration enforcement — historically a hazy distinction — become further blurred under Trump. The Trump administration has sent thousands more active-duty troops to aid border operations and established several so-called “national defense areas” along the southern border, granting military personnel new arrest powers from Arizona to Texas, all while deploying the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles to quell resistance.
For the moment, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection, is the agency granted the authority to outsource border operations to private vendors, like the private security firms transporting immigrants around the country and the defense technology companies that sell border surveillance tech.
The new proposal could further expand the role of private contractors in border operations — this time under the watch of the…
Auteur: Katya Schwenk
