The Pentagon announced Friday that up to 1,700 National Guard troops will mobilize across 19 states over the coming weeks to support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in President Donald Trump’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime.
National Guard Deployments Across 19 States
Documents obtained by Fox News show Guard activations are planned in:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Wyoming
What Guard Members Will Do
The Guard members will focus on administrative and logistical tasks, including case management, transportation, clerical support, and processing functions such as fingerprinting, photographing, DNA swabbing, and collecting personal data from illegal immigrants in ICE custody.
A defense official told Fox News the role is meant to “provide the appropriate support” without crossing into law enforcement functions prohibited by the Posse Comitatus Act.
To ensure compliance, deployments will operate under Title 32 authority, meaning troops remain under the control of their state governors while reporting to ICE leadership at their duty stations.
Trump: “We’re Going to Other Places”
The mobilization follows Trump’s federalization of D.C. police earlier this month, where nearly 2,000 Guard members have been assigned to checkpoints, monuments, and patrols. Speaking at a D.C. patrol center Thursday, Trump said:
“We’re going to make it safe, and we’re going to then go on to other places.”
On Friday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office:
“I think Chicago will be our next. And then we’ll help with New York.
State Reactions
Some states have already begun preparations. The Virginia National Guard confirmed around 60 troops will start training Aug. 25 to begin duties in early September.
“VNG personnel will not conduct law enforcement functions, and VNG support will not include making arrests,” a Virginia Guard spokesperson emphasized.
Other states, including Vermont, declined to participate despite Pentagon authorization.
Broader National Strategy
Officials stressed that the deployments are distinct from Trump’s D.C. crime operation, even though both fall under his broader directive to strengthen public safety and territorial security.
A White House official said:
“The National Guard mobilizing to assist ICE processing with clerical and logistical tasks in several states is not the same as the President’s actions to stop crime in D.C.”
Still, Trump hinted Guard missions could expand into major cities, as part of his pledge to intensify immigration enforcement and combat gang violence.
