Overview

• A leaked memo authored by DHS adviser Philip Hegseth urges Defense Department leaders to prioritize a homeland defense mission against illegal immigration.
• The document likens transnational gangs and cartels to Al Qaeda or ISIS to justify escalating military deployments inside the United States.
• It calls for replicating Los Angeles–style troop operations in cities across the country for years to come.
• The memo seeks verbal agreements to embed DoD personnel within ICE and CBP and vice versa to enhance information sharing and nationwide operational planning.
• Legal and civil liberties experts warn that institutionalizing military support for civilian immigration enforcement represents a troubling escalation.