DHS memo details how National Guard troops will be used for immigration enforcement

DHS memo details how National Guard troops will be used for immigration enforcement

Tom Bowman

Ximena Bustillo

June 06, 2025 / 9:42 am

National Guard troops would be used in immigration-enforcement activities, including in "night operations and rural interdiction," as well as "guard duty and riot control" inside detention facilities, according to a memo from the Department of Homeland Security obtained by NPR.

DHS officials requested 20,000 National Guard troops three weeks ago, but this memo details what duties those troops will be asked to perform. The memo, dated May 9, from Andrew Whitaker, the executive secretary at DHS, says the department will need up to 3,500 Guard personnel for its requirement to "Attempt to Locate — Fugitives." Another 2,500 Guard soldiers would be neede