A January 20, 2025 executive order declared a national emergency at the southern border of the United States. The executive order directed the DoD to take all appropriate action to facilitate the operational needs of the Department of Homeland Security along the southern border, including the provision of appropriate detention space and other logistical services. It authorizes the DoD to immediately construct, operate, control, or establish contracts to detain migrants at or near the border with Mexico.
This summary report is one in a series of reports that summarizes key themes and lessons learned from our body of oversight work in several key areas. We offer these summaries to provide helpful and timely information relevant to DoD priorities. After the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, the DoD housed and cared for tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees on DoD installations. Consideration of lessons learned identified in 17 DoD OIG reports and management advisories that we issued in relation to Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome can inform the DoD’s actions to provide similar support related to the national emergency on the southern border, thereby avoiding the challenges noted in our previous reports. We did not make any recommendations; therefore, no management comments are required.