The Department of Defense proposed in 2024 to expand oversight jurisdiction around 40 military installations to one mile and 19 installations to 100 miles, tightening security for federal property amid national security concerns about foreign real estate investments. Federal property includes military bases, national parks, federal courthouses, post offices, and other land the federal government owns or controls.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 grants Congress power to exercise "exclusive Legislation" over land purchased from states for "Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings." These federal enclaves exist as islands of federal jurisdiction within states. Jurisdiction comes in three forms: exclusive (only federal law applies), concurrent (both federal and state law apply), or proprietary (federal ownership but state law generally governs). Camp Beauregard in Louisiana remains outside full federal jurisdiction because the Louisiana National Guard, not the federal government, owns the base. The level of jurisdiction determines which government prosecutes crimes, enforces regulations, and collects taxes on federal property.