WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has confirmed that up to 1,700 National Guardsmen are scheduled to be mobilized in 19 states to assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime.
Documents obtained by FOX News show that the activations are planned for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. These deployments are set to take place between August and mid-November, with Texas expected to have the most significant Guard presence.
Photo provided by the National Guard.
A U.S. Defense official stated that the mobilized National Guard soldiers will serve as a support and deterrent force for a broad federal interagency effort. The service members will support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by performing case management, transportation, logistical support, and clerical functions related to processing illegal migrants at facilities. This includes personal data collection, fingerprinting, DNA swabbing, and photographing.
President Trump has indicated his administration’s intent to expand this operation beyond Washington, D.C. Most deployments are still in the planning and coordination stages with DHS and state governors. Operations in Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, and Nevada are scheduled to begin during the first week of September.
