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The Pentagon confirmed Friday that up to 1,700 National Guard troops will be activated across 19 states in the coming weeks to assist the Department of Homeland Security as President Donald Trump pushes forward with his nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime.
Documents obtained by FOX News show deployments are planned in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. Texas is expected to see the largest Guard presence.
Pentagon officials said the troops will not conduct arrests or direct law enforcement duties, but will support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with case management, transportation, logistics and clerical work tied to migrant processing. That includes collecting personal data, fingerprinting, DNA swabs, and photographing individuals in ICE custody.
“The in-and-out processing may include personal data collection, fingerprinting, DNA swabbing and photographing of personnel in ICE custody,” a defense official said.
Legal authority and governor control
The deployments will operate under Title 32 Section 502F authority, which allows National Guard troops to perform federal missions while remaining under the control of state governors. Unlike Title 10 status, the arrangement avoids restrictions under the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits military involvement in civilian law enforcement.
Officials said the missions will vary state by state depending on coordination between governors and DHS. Virginia confirmed that 60 Guard soldiers and airmen will begin training on Aug. 25 and start duty in early September. Vermont declined to activate its Guard despite Pentagon authorization.
“VNG personnel will not conduct law enforcement functions, and VNG support will not include making arrests,” a Virginia National Guard spokesperson said.
Trump signals expansion to more cities
Trump has recently hinted the federal operation could expand further. Speaking to National Guard troops and agents at a D.C. patrol center Thursday, the president said: “We’re going to make it safe, and we’re going to then go on to other places. I think Chicago will be our next. And then we’ll help with New York.”
Nearly 2,000 Guard soldiers have already been mobilized in Washington, D.C., and six states to bolster law enforcement at monuments, traffic stops, and checkpoints as part of Trump’s anti-crime initiative in the capital. Those troops, unlike the state mobilizations, operate under direct presidential authority.
Pentagon officials stressed that the D.C. deployment and the 19-state mobilization are distinct missions, though both fall under Trump’s broader directive to strengthen border security and enforce immigration laws.
“The big question is how long do we stay?” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday. “Because if we stay, we want to make sure it doesn’t come back. So we have to take care of these criminals and get them out.”
