Additional Coverage:
The Department of Homeland Security has requested 20,000 National Guard troops from the Pentagon to assist in deporting migrants without legal status. Military lawyers are currently reviewing the request, which aims to solicit volunteers from state governors’ National Guard forces.
The exact role of the Guard troops remains unclear, including whether they would be involved in transportation, security, detention, or arrests. While Texas Governor Greg Abbott authorized Texas Guard members to make immigration arrests in February, this would mark the first nationwide deployment of Guard troops for deportations. This request follows President Trump’s recent order to increase DHS deportation officers by 20,000, with utilizing the National Guard offering the quickest path to achieve this goal.
Currently, there’s no indication that President Trump intends to federalize the National Guard, a move last implemented during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
The Trump administration has significantly increased the presence of active duty troops along the U.S.-Mexico border, currently exceeding 10,000—a substantial rise from the approximately 2,500 troops stationed there during the Biden administration. The Pentagon’s recent expansion of control over a 60-foot strip of border land, known as the Roosevelt Reservation, grants military personnel the authority to temporarily detain individuals crossing illegally until local law enforcement arrives.