Tucson city leaders warned Tuesday that federal National Guard forces could be sent to U.S. cities without state or local requests, and unveiled a precautionary plan to monitor, document and — if needed — take legal action should such troops appear in Tucson.
In a city news release, Mayor Regina Romero stressed that the National Guard is not currently deployed in Tucson but said federal moves in other cities have “spread fear and chaos.” “The actions that we’ve seen ICE take are hurting innocent people and not making us any safer,” Romero said. “The City of Tucson will prioritize community safety and protect the legal and constitutional rights of every Tucsonan regardless of status. I have directed staff to create an easy to use, easy to access informational website.”
City officials outlined how troops could lawfully be activated: under Title 32 by the governor for a state emergency; at the request of local authorities for search-and-rescue or civil support; or federally under Title 10 and the Insurrection Act. They also emphasized legal limits on what federally controlled troops may do under the Posse Comitatus Act…