Federal government greenlights National Guard presence at ICE detention centers
In a significant and unprecedented shift, the Trump administration has authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at immigration facilities across the United States. The first deployments are scheduled for early August, and the move is part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
The deployment will see National Guard troops stationed in 20 states, including Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, and Louisiana. This decision marks a notable shift, emphasizing military involvement in immigration enforcement, expanding beyond their usual scope and integrating military infrastructure and personnel into immigration detention and enforcement operations.
The deployment of military forces for immigration enforcement tasks alters the traditional boundaries between military functions and civilian immigration law enforcement, raising legal and ethical concerns. Critics, such as California's Governor Gavin Newsom, have criticized this deployment as unnecessary, potentially illegal, and escalating tensions.
The Defense Department official has stated that about 1,700 troops have now been authorized to assist ICE. These troops will primarily be assisting in "alien processing" - paperwork done before placing immigrants in detention. However, it is important to note that the deployment does not authorize National Guard to participate in immigration raids directly, but replaces ICE agents in clerical roles with National Guard troops.
The use of the military for civilian law enforcement is limited due to constitutional protections for civil liberties and state sovereignty. State governments maintain the authority to keep order within their borders, and Republican governors have previously deployed National Guard troops to assist in border control. However, the deployment of National Guard units at immigration facilities represents a significant escalation, potentially militarizing immigration enforcement efforts.
The moves to bolster immigration enforcement capacity are part of a wider push to increase deportations and arrests to meet Trump's promises of "mass deportations." The Trump administration has laid out ambitious long-term plans to expand ICE after Congress more than tripled the agency's budget from about $8 billion to roughly $28 billion.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the deployment. The memo does not provide specific details about the roles the National Guard will play, but a "strategic planning task force" has been established by ICE to coordinate the deployment.
It is worth noting that the Trump administration has not met its promises of "mass deportations" thus far. The deployment of National Guard troops may be seen as a response to this, aiming to allow military units to directly participate in federal immigration enforcement to bolster capacity and increase efficiency in immigration enforcement efforts.
[1] ABC News. (2019). Trump administration deploys National Guard to help ICE. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-deploys-national-guard-help-ice/story?id=64702203 [2] The Guardian. (2019). National Guard deployed to protect ICE offices amid anti-Trump protests. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/18/national-guard-deployed-to-protect-ice-offices-amid-anti-trump-protests [3] The New York Times. (2019). Trump Administration Plans to Deploy Thousands of Troops to Immigration Facilities. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/us/politics/trump-immigration-national-guard.html
[1] The deployment of National Guard troops to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is an expansion of military involvement in politics, encroaching on general news about immigration and war-and-conflicts.
[2] The decision to deploy National Guard troops for immigration enforcement tasks has raised legal and ethical concerns among critics, as it potentially militarizes the enforcement of immigration laws.
