Three States Move to Deploy National Guard to Assist ICE
Idaho, Virginia and Nevada prepare troop assignments for immigration enforcement support as Trump ramps up deportation push.
WASHINGTON — Republican governors in Idaho, Virginia and Nevada are moving to mobilize National Guard troops to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of a growing, multi-state effort to bolster President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda.
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Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Friday authorized up to 14 Guard members to work directly with ICE through Nov. 15, providing administrative and clerical help so federal agents can “focus on law enforcement.” The federally funded personnel will remain under state control while supporting ICE’s Boise field office.
In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin directed about 60 Guard soldiers and airmen to prepare for ICE support assignments across the commonwealth. They will perform tasks such as data entry, scheduling, biometric collection and vehicle maintenance, but will not conduct arrests. Training is expected to finish by the end of August, with deployments beginning in September.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo is finalizing a similar plan under Title 32 authority, which keeps Guard members under state command but on federal pay. About 35 guardsmen will be assigned to clerical, administrative and logistical work, though Title 32 status could allow for domestic law enforcement duties if authorized. Immigration arrests in Nevada have surged more than 300% since January.
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The planned deployments follow months of coordination between Republican governors and the Trump administration. In December, nearly every GOP governor signed a joint statement pledging support for mass deportations. The Pentagon has authorized Guard support for ICE in roughly 20 states through mid-November.
Civil rights advocates warn the Guard’s increased role risks blurring the line between military and civilian law enforcement. In Idaho, arrests are up nearly 800% over last year; in Nevada, federal officials recently labeled the entire state a “sanctuary” jurisdiction, threatening millions in federal funding.
While governors say troops will mostly provide support, the move embeds the Guard deeper into ICE’s operations — signaling a more militarized approach to immigration enforcement that could reshape deportation practices nationwide.
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I wonder if these states (and others) are under pressure from DHS to deploy Guard troops because ICE recruitment is not going very well?
Seems like nothing we saw in CA, where more than 1K Guardsmen were deployed in a literal “show” of force. We’ll see how this goes, since isn’t it possible some folks in the Guard might be undocumented too.