WASHINGTON (WDNews) – Nearly 1,700 National Guard troops will mobilize across 19 states over the next several weeks to assist the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement with immigration enforcement efforts, according to Pentagon officials.
The large-scale activation, set to run from late August through mid-November, is among the most significant National Guard rollouts in recent years. Troops are scheduled to deploy in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
Officials said Guard members will not conduct arrests. Instead, they will provide administrative and logistical support such as case management, transportation, clerical work, and other duties at ICE processing centers. Their responsibilities may include collecting personal data, fingerprinting, photographing, and DNA swabbing detainees, allowing immigration agents to focus on enforcement.
Because the mobilization falls under Title 32 authority, troops will remain under the control of their state governors while coordinating directly with DHS. Unlike active-duty forces, National Guard members under Title 32 are not restricted by the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits federal troop involvement in civilian law enforcement.
It remains unclear how many Guard troops will be assigned to each state or how long deployments will last, though officials suggested Texas could see the largest number. The White House noted the effort is separate from the administration’s broader crime crackdown.
