The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has formally requested more than 20,000 National Guard members from the Pentagon to support President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, which includes a sweeping campaign to deport millions of illegal immigrants across the U.S., The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The request marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s plan to fulfill what officials describe as a core mandate from voters to restore law and order after years of lax enforcement under the Biden administration.
“The Department of Homeland Security will use every tool and resource available to get criminal illegal aliens including gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and other violent criminals out of our country. The safety of American citizens comes first,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement to Newsmax.
Pentagon lawyers are now reviewing the legal parameters of the request, particularly regarding how such a deployment might intersect with federal law governing the domestic use of military personnel for law enforcement purposes. It remains unclear how many states would need to approve participation from their National Guard units.
The administration’s deportation push comes after President Trump issued a directive last week to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to “supplement existing enforcement and removal operations” by expanding partnerships with state and local law enforcement and tapping former and current federal officers to boost deportation manpower by at least 20,000 agents.
To that end, DHS and the Department of Justice have already begun pulling personnel from other federal agencies. According to reports, DOJ has enlisted nearly 2,000 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to assist in arrest operations across the country.
In addition, local law enforcement has begun playing a growing role. DHS has signed multiple cooperative agreements with police departments, enabling local officers to make immigration-related arrests in tandem with ICE. A major operation in Florida last month, conducted with local authorities, led to the arrest of over 1,000 illegal immigrants.
According to Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Pete Flores, illegal border crossings have dropped 99% since Trump resumed office in January. The primary U.S.-Mexico border crossing zone has seen an unprecedented 99.5% reduction in migrant traffic, Flores told lawmakers Thursday.
Officials credit the administration’s reimposed “Remain in Mexico” policy, expansion of border wall construction, and swift removals of recent arrivals for the dramatic decline.
Despite gains at the border, DHS officials acknowledge that the greatest challenge lies in locating and deporting the millions of illegal immigrants residing here — especially those who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration.
To encourage voluntary compliance, DHS has introduced a financial incentive program offering $1,000 to illegal immigrants who agree to self-deport. The government will also cover travel expenses for those who participate.
Migrants who use the CBP Home app (repurposed for self deportation from the original CBP One app) to notify the government of their intent to leave voluntarily will be deprioritized for detention or forced removal, DHS announced.
The move is already drawing fierce opposition from civil liberties groups and immigration advocates, but administration officials argue the current moment calls for extraordinary measures.
“The American people demanded strong borders and safe communities,” said a senior DHS official. “This is about delivering on that promise.”
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We want to vacation in Costa Rica. With a little tanning lotion do you suppose we could get a paid for trip at least one way and spending money?
Seriously, I want to see all the illegals gone from our schools, roads, food banks, hospitals, and welfare offices.
I also want to see the corrupt establishment elites start to pay a living wage to those who are not supplemented by corrupt government workers and our tax dollars.