The Department of Homeland Security has asked the Pentagon for 20,000 National Guard troops to help with immigration roundups across the country, a move that could massively expand the federal government’s deportation efforts. A U.S. official confirmed the request, which is now being reviewed by the Department of Defense.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the troops would support President Donald Trump’s push to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants inside the United States—not just at the border.
“This is about carrying out the President’s mandate from the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens,” McLaughlin said, according to the Associated Press. “DHS will use every tool and resource available because the safety of American citizens comes first.”
If approved, the troops would assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in operations far from the southern border. This goes beyond previous deployments, where National Guard units were mostly limited to support roles at the border.
It’s unclear whether the troops would operate under federal command or remain under the control of state governors. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, National Guard troops under federal orders can’t perform law enforcement duties within the U.S.—but if kept under state control, they can.
The scale of the request is significant. ICE has about 20,000 staff nationwide. The division responsible for interior arrests and deportations—Enforcement and Removal Operations—has just 7,700 employees, including a little over 6,000 officers. The addition of 20,000 Guard troops would more than triple that capacity.
The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not explain why the request went through the Pentagon instead of directly to state governors, who typically control National Guard forces unless federalized.
President Trump has ramped up immigration enforcement since taking office, repeatedly calling illegal immigration an “invasion” and issuing a series of executive orders aimed at speeding up deportations and tightening border control.
Roughly 10,000 troops are already stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border under both federal and state authority. So far, their role has mostly been to support Border Patrol agents—providing surveillance, transportation, and help with wall construction—while leaving arrests to law enforcement.
In a new militarized zone along parts of the border, troops have put up warning signs and accompanied agents on patrol. However, in places like New Mexico, federal judges have dismissed charges against migrants arrested in that zone, saying there was little evidence the migrants even knew it was a restricted area.
The addition of 20,000 National Guard troops would mark a major escalation in Trump’s immigration crackdown—bringing military force deeper into the country’s interior to support mass deportations.
