The order prioritizes the protection of the United States’ sovereignty and territorial integrity along its national borders. It recognizes the Armed Forces’ long-standing role in securing the country’s borders against threats of invasion, unlawful forays, and transnational criminal activities.
The order directs various actions to reinforce border security, including a revision to the Unified Command Plan that assigns USNORTHCOM the mission to seal the borders, add new requirements to contingency planning guidance, and conduct continuous assessments of available options to protect the sovereign territory.