On August 25, the Department of Defense announced the revival of the Mexican Border Defense Medal, a recognition that ties America’s current border battles with a chapter from more than 100 years ago.
The medal is based on the original Mexican Border Service Medal, created in 1918 to honor U.S. troops who patrolled the border after Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa’s infamous raid on Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916.
That attack killed 18 Americans and shocked the nation. It was one of the few times in history when foreign fighters struck U.S. soil, and it set off a military response led by General John J. Pershing.
Now, in 2025, the medal has been brought back under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The new version keeps the old design, a Roman sword standing for defense, but adds modern meaning.
Today, it honors soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who have served along the southern border as part of Joint Task Force–Southern Border, which has been supporting Customs and Border Protection since 2023.
️ @SecDef announces establishment of Mexican Border Defense Medal
Effective immediately, the Mexican Border Defense Medal is established to recognize service members deployed to the U.S. international border with Mexico for Defense Department support to U.S. Customs and Border… pic.twitter.com/zDERo0Ucdo
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) August 25, 2025
Why This Matters Today
The return of this medal is a statement about priorities. Border security has been at the top of the list for voters (especially Republicans) for years. The Trump administration’s defense leadership has focused on that concern.
Earlier this year, the Army announced that more than 9,000 personnel had been deployed to the border to help stop illegal crossings, drug smuggling, and human trafficking.
The medal is a way to honor those men and women for what conservatives see as heroic work – standing between lawlessness and American families.
Reaction on the Right
The news lit up X on Monday. One user cheered it as “an awesome and great honor for our patriots defending the border,” while another said it rightly recognizes those “putting themselves in harm’s way.”
Some couldn’t resist a jab at Democrats. One comment quipped that “Kamala Harris is deathly allergic to this medal,” poking at the Biden-Harris administration’s years of failing to take border enforcement seriously.
Others suggested the name should be updated to the “American Border Defense Medal” to reflect that this fight is about defending U.S. sovereignty, not just reacting to threats from across the Rio Grande.
And for many, it was personal. One poster shared a photo of his grandfather’s original 1918 medal, calling the new one a proud continuation of his family’s service.
Recoil on the Left
Some on the left argue that giving medals for border duty “militarizes immigration policy” and sends the wrong message. They say resources should be focused on reforming the asylum system or expanding legal immigration.
But conservatives push back hard on that point. They argue that without strong borders, none of those reforms matter.
Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei, who has long supported tougher immigration enforcement, has warned that the border crisis doesn’t just affect Texas and Arizona.
“Drug trafficking routes run straight up I-15,” Amodei has said, pointing out how Nevada families pay the price when cartels flood the country with fentanyl.
Nevada Connection
For Nevadans, this is not a distant issue. The Columbus raid that sparked the original medal happened less than 40 miles from the Nevada border with Arizona and New Mexico’s deserts.
Today, Las Vegas sees the consequences of unsecured borders in higher drug seizures and human trafficking cases that stretch into the state’s gaming and hospitality industries.
The return of the Mexican Border Defense Medal reminds us that defending America’s borders is not just history; it’s a fight that still matters right now.
A Lesson from 1916 We Can’t Forget
In 1916, Americans living near Columbus, New Mexico, woke up to gunfire and flames because Washington ignored early warning signs about border security.
In 2025, the lesson is the same: ignore the border, and Americans will pay the price.
This medal is not just a piece of ribbon and metal. It’s a signal that, finally, defending America’s borders is back at the center of U.S. defense policy where it belongs.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
