The military is expanding its authority and reach along swaths of the southern U.S. border where troops have been empowered to detain people who enter the country illegally. Designated militarized zones will soon cover nearly one-third of the U.

One third of the southern border is now covered by military zones, which allow troops to detain migrants attempting to enter the country unlawfully. The Associated Press detailed that the zones are being patrolled by at least 7,