DHS asks Pentagon for 20,000 troops to assist with Trump’s immigration crackdown

The Trump administration is moving to expand its crackdown on illegal immigration, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requesting 20,000 National Guard troops to support enforcement operations.A DHS official toldThe Hill that the request was made to the Pentagon to help fulfil the President’s pledge to arrest and deport criminal undocumented immigrants. While the Defence Department acknowledged receiving the request, officials said it remains in the early planning stages, with legal reviews ongoing regarding the Guard’s role in interior immigration enforcement.There is uncertainty over whether the National Guard would be used for direct arrests or in a support capacity such as transportation or logistics. It also remains unclear whether President Trump would require state governors to approve the deployment or move to federalise the Guard. The last instance of federalising the National Guard was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.The move has drawn swift backlash from Democrats. Senator Tammy Duckworth criticised the request as an unprecedented misuse of the military within the US, warning it could set a dangerous precedent. She said deploying the Guard for immigration enforcement undermines national readiness and threatens civil liberties, adding that Trump’s approach risks expanding military authority over civilians.National Guard troops have previously been used at the state level, most notably in Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott authorised them to arrest migrants. However, this would be the first instance of a national-level deployment focused on deportations.Alongside the National Guard request, the administration has launched new measures to incentivise voluntary departure. Migrants who agree to self-deport using the “CBP Home” app will be offered $1,000 and free travel. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described this as the safest and most cost-effective option, with flights already departing from cities like Chicago.Critics warn that such departures could undermine legal asylum claims and complicate migrants' ability to return legally in the future. Nevertheless, the White House claims dramatic progress, boasting a 95% reduction in illegal border crossings and declaring the current state of the border the most secure in modern US history.