President Donald Trump on Friday issued a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. military to take a more direct role in securing the southern border, including repelling unlawful entries and sealing the border to maintain “the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States.”

This directive involves the use of federal lands for military activities, such as constructing border barriers and deploying detection equipment, and allows for the designation of certain areas as “National Defense Areas by the Secretary of Defense.”

The memorandum builds upon executive orders that declared a national emergency at the southern border.​

This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is available.