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3mo ago

Pentagon Reviews DHS Request for 20,000 National Guard Troops for Immigration Enforcement

The unprecedented proposal seeks to bolster deportation operations in the U.S. interior, raising legal and logistical questions about military involvement in domestic law enforcement.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
National Guard soldiers walk on the day U.S. authorities hold a ceremony to deputise the Texas National Guard to enforce Title 8 immigration laws, near the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, U.S. February 27, 2025.
FILE - A deportation officer with Enforcement and Removal Operations in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's New York City field office conducts a brief before an early morning operation, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in the Bronx borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
Employees leave the Otay Mesa Detention Center, which houses immigration detainees, on Oct. 5, 2021 in San Diego. (K.C. Alfred / U-T file)

Overview

  • The Department of Homeland Security has formally requested 20,000 National Guard troops to assist with interior immigration enforcement operations, marking a significant expansion of military involvement in deportation efforts.
  • Pentagon lawyers are currently reviewing the request, with key decisions pending on the roles of the troops, whether state governors must approve, and the legal framework for their deployment.
  • If approved, this would represent the first time National Guard units are used for immigration enforcement within the U.S. interior, a shift from their traditional logistical and surveillance roles at the border.
  • DHS officials emphasize that the troops would support efforts to arrest and deport undocumented individuals with criminal records, including violent offenders, as part of President Trump's broader immigration crackdown.
  • The proposal has sparked political debate, with critics questioning its alignment with the National Guard's mission and raising concerns about potential overreach of federal authority.