# "Shooting migrants in the legs". Is this legal? If Area 51 trespassers can be shot... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 2, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-migrants-in-the-legs-is-this-legal-if-area-51-trespassers-can-be-shot/841133 "2019-10-02T02:47:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-migrants-in-the-legs-is-this-legal-if-area-51-trespassers-can-be-shot/841133/1 "2019-10-02T02:47:07Z")
So, Trump has expressed a desire, per CNN, to have illegal immigrants [shot](https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/01/politics/new-york-times-trump-shoot-migrants-legs/index.html). This would be an inhumane, despicable act. And it doesn’t address the root cause of illegal immigration. (though, in reality, it might be an effective deterrent) So my first thought is “no, this would be a violation of international law and a failure to use proportional force”. But, then again, trespassers at the Area 51 base can legally be shot for entering a restricted area. The border fencing is Federal property and this is an international border. Could the Feds declare a military controlled zone up and down the border, post signs in multiple languages warning that lethal force is authorized, and fire on anyone that crosses? Could the President make an executive order authorizing this? Is it within his powers? If the answer is no, why can the military shoot unarmed area 51 trespassers to prevent them from seeing what’s there? What precisely authorizes this? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-migrants-in-the-legs-is-this-legal-if-area-51-trespassers-can-be-shot/841133)._