The United States government is reportedly set to mobilise the National Guard across 19 states this month, following their deployment in Washington, D.C.
As many as 1,700 National Guard troops will be sent to states including Florida, Texas, and Virginia, Fox News reported, in what the administration has called a crackdown on crime and undocumented immigration. The Pentagon is also planning to deploy the military in Chicago.
The National Guard will support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in processing and deterring immigrants, officials told Fox News. “The in-and-out processing may include personal data collection, fingerprinting, DNA swabbing and photographing of personnel in ICE custody.”
These National Guard troops will reportedly be active from August to November, with Texas hosting the largest troop presence. Apart from Texas, Florida, and Virginia, troops will be sent to Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming.
The Pentagon is also planning military deployments in Chicago, the Washington Post reported. Thousands of National Guard troops could reportedly be sent to Chicago from September to support ICE operations, as well as potentially active-duty military troops.
“Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities. An unlawful deployment would be unsustainable and would threaten to undermine the historic progress we have made,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Chicago has seen a 30% reduction in homicides over the past year, according to Johnson.
“There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
More than 2,200 National Guard troops are currently deployed in Washington, D.C., with the Trump administration saying they will support local law enforcement operations. Around 2,000 of these troops will begin carrying firearms from today, NBC News reported.
The cost of the National Guard’s deployment in Washington, D.C. could exceed US$1 million per day, according to National Priorities Project researcher Hanna Homestead.
Several states’ National Guard units have been requesting further funding from Congress, according to Wyoming National Guard officials, as additional deployments have significantly impacted these units financially.
Related content
