DHS Requests 20,000 National Guard Members to Help with Immigration Enforcement

Strategic Insights -

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested 20,000 National Guard members to aid in immigration enforcement across the US, according to a department spokesperson. This move is part of the Trump administration's push to increase arrests of undocumented migrants and fulfill President Donald Trump's campaign promise to deport millions of people. The effort includes tapping Border Patrol agents to fan out nationwide and comes as the Justice Department intensifies its crackdown on immigration-related crime in cities across the country.

Key Takeaways:

  • The DHS request for 20,000 National Guard members is under review by the Pentagon and is part of a renewed push by the Trump administration to increase arrests of undocumented migrants.
  • The effort will include tapping Border Patrol agents to fan out nationwide and will be bolstered by National Guard units helping with force protection and bolstering arresting teams on the ground.
  • The National Guard units will be operating on state rather than federal orders under Title 32 authority, with states deputizing their Guard units under appropriate authorities.
  • The use of National Guard members for immigration enforcement is possible under Title 32 authority, which exempts Guard units from the Posse Comitatus Act that prohibits the military from conducting domestic law enforcement.
  • The Trump administration has been frustrated with the slower pace of interior arrests of undocumented immigrants and has been seeking to recruit additional personnel, including thousands of extra Guardsmen, for the task.
  • The effort builds on a renewed push by the Trump administration to increase immigration enforcement, including a crackdown on immigration-related crime in cities across the country.

Statistics:

  • 20,000: The number of National Guard members requested by DHS to aid in immigration enforcement.
  • Thousands: The number of extra Guardsmen being recruited for the task, in addition to the 20,000 requested.
  • 2021: The year Texas Governor Greg Abbott began deploying National Guard members to the border to help with immigration enforcement.
  • Low: The number of border crossings at the time the Pentagon and DHS decided against recommending that Trump invoke the Insurrection Act.

Sources:

  • Department of Homeland Security spokesperson
  • CNN reporting
  • Trump administration officials
  • CNN's Holmes Lybrand

Note: All statistics and information are derived directly from the original text and sources.