The Trump administration reportedly plans to mobilize up to 1,700 National Guard troops across 19 states in the coming weeks to support its immigration and anti-crime crackdowns, a dramatic expansion of the controversial operation that’s seen federal agents and Guard troops carrying out activities across Washington, D.C.
The troops, who will largely be activated across Republican-controlled states, will serve in support of the administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, as well as other law enforcement priorities, according to comment from unnamed Pentagon officials and documents obtained by Fox News.
The Guardsmen assisting ICE will be carrying out tasks that may include “personal data collection, fingerprinting, DNA swabbing and photographing of personnel in ICE custody," an official told outlet.
The deployments will take place across the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming, per Fox.
Texas is reportedly slated to have the largest deployment.
The Independent has contacted the reported states for comment, as well as the central National Guard leadership and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Guardsmen will be serving under Title 32 Section 502F authority, in which they technically remain under state command and control, but can assist with federal missions and are paid with federal funds. The status allows them to avoid running afoul of a federal law limiting military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
When asked about the reported operation, the Defense Department referred The Independent to a July announcement from the Pentagon changing the status of troops supporting ICE to Title 32 and adding 500 additional personnel to the mission, bringing it to a total of approximately 1,700 troops.
The statement said the troops could be involved in “direct interaction with individuals in ICE custody,” and that the mission stemmed from a May request from the Department of Homeland Security for assistance.
“The Virginia National Guard plans to mobilize approximately 60 Soldiers and Airmen with a mission to provide administrative and logistics support to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at locations across the state,” a spokesperson told The Independent. “VNG personnel will not conduct law enforcement functions, and VNG support will not include making arrests.”
Nevada officials pointed The Independent to a Tuesday announcement from Gov. Joe Lombardo, which described up to 35 Nevada National Guardsmen assisting DHS with “vital clerical, administrative, and logistical support — ensuring there will be no direct contact with detainees, no law enforcement duties, and no weapons involved.”
A spokesperson for the Idaho National Guard told The Independent the state’s contingent will feature 14 personnel providing three ICE offices with “administrative functions,” potentially including data entry, record keeping, creating and maintaining reports, and other clerical duties.
The apparent expansion in operations comes as President Trump threatened to send the “regular military” into Chicago for a similar crime crackdown, as well as potentially send troops to New York City.
“We're going to make our cities very, very safe. Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we'll straighten that one out, probably next that'll be our next one after this, and it won't even be tough,” Trump told reporters at The White House.
Nearly 2,000 Guard troops from Washington, D.C., and six states are deployed to the capital as part of the president’s anti-crime and immigration push.
Washington residents overwhelmingly oppose the federal law enforcement operation there, according to polling.
The operation has netted more than 700 arrests since beginning earlier this month, according to the Trump administration, though it hasn’t released in-depth information about the identities or alleged offenses that form this figure.
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