WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOOTPRESS) – The Trump administration is preparing to send 1,700 National Guard members to nearly 20 states to assist federal immigration authorities, White House border adviser Tom Homan announced Saturday.
According to officials, the Guard members will not conduct arrests but will instead provide logistical support, including transportation and intelligence gathering. Homan said the additional manpower will free up U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to concentrate on locating and removing migrants deemed public safety risks.
The Pentagon first disclosed the plan earlier this month, with the mission expected to continue at least through mid-November.
Troops are set to be deployed in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
Officials emphasized that the National Guard deployment to assist ICE is separate from the recent dispatch of federal troops to Washington, D.C., which came after the president expressed concerns over crime in the capital.
