DHS requests 20,000 National Guard troops for immigration enforcement

In May 2019, the Department of Homeland Security in the United States sought to bolster its immigration enforcement efforts by requesting the Pentagon to deploy approximately 20,000 National Guard troops. This request came amid the Trump administration's renewed push to ramp up arrests of undocumented migrants. Reports indicated that illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border had fallen to historic lows, prompting the administration to increase manpower to target undocumented immigrants within the interior of the country. The announcement generated significant discussion as it would mark a historic shift in the role of the National Guard in immigration enforcement. The request by the Department of Homeland Security, still under review by the Defense Department, suggested that the National Guard troops would support Border Patrol agents at various locations. However, it remained uncertain where these troops would be deployed and whether individual state governors would grant permission for their use in this capacity. Typically, National Guard members had been utilized as backup support rather than being directly involved in law enforcement activities, but this initiative aimed to change that precedent for the first time in U.S. history. The Trump administration's drive to enforce immigration policies more stringently had become a focal point of its agenda. Various adjustments were made, including reallocating federal agents from different departments to assist the Department of Homeland Security in its mission. This push highlighted the administration's underlying goal of increased arrests and deportations, particularly concerning individuals identified as criminals or serious offenders. The scale and implications of deploying National Guard troops for immigration enforcement raised discussions around the legalities and potential ramifications under the Posse Comitatus Act, which traditionally restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement. While active-duty military troops were already present at the southern border mainly for logistical support, the proposed involvement of National Guard units under state command could bypass some federal legal constraints, leading to an unprecedented expansion of local enforcement capabilities related to immigration control.