Trump DHS requests 20,000 National Guard troops to assist with immigration enforcement
On May 15, the NY Times reported that the Trump administration, through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has filed a request with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for 20,000 National Guard troops to assist in the administration’s efforts to increase immigration enforcement and carry out mass deportations. According to the report, the Pentagon is reviewing the request, but as of yet, it is unclear what the exact role of the National Guard troops would be, or if the states the troops come from would have to approve the administration’s plan. The request for National Guard troops comes a week after a presidential proclamation from Trump that called for increasing the number of DHS immigration officers by 20,000, by pulling from other state or federal agencies.
Impact: This action reflects the Trump administration’s increased use of the military for immigration enforcement. There are already 8,600 active duty troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, as compared to 2,500 during the Biden administration. For now, it is unclear what role the National Guard troops would play on immigration enforcement. For example, it is unknown if they would they seek and detain migrants and take part in arrests, or just play a logistical role, for example by providing transportation or security. National Guard troops have normally done the latter, playing a supporting role to other agencies. But the NY Times reports that a Defense Department official said that if the request were approved, “it would be the first time National Guard troops were used to help enforce an immigration crackdown in the United States.” Another possible scenario is that Trump would move to use authority that completely federalizes the National Guard, which would wrest control of National Guard troops from state governors and hand command of the troops over to the President. The last time the National Guard was federalized in this manner was in 1992. However, in more recent years, the President has mobilized National Guard troops under other authorities that authorize them to conduct federal missions but are short of full federalization.
https://www.epi.org/policywatch/trump-dhs-requests-20000-national-guard-troops-to-assist-with-immigration-enforcement/
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