President Donald Trump said he will deploy National Guard to 19 states in his ongoing effort to fight crime and illegal immigration.
“We’re not playing games,” he said in comments to law enforcement officers.
The Guard will be mobilized from August until at least mid-November in the crucial border state of Texas which will have the most significant presence, Fox News reported.
Other states where Guard personnel will be sent are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
The troops will be called on to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with case management, transportation, logistical support, and clerical functions and will also be used to deter people from committing crimes, a Pentagon official told Fox News.
“The in-and-out processing may include personal data collection, fingerprinting, DNA swabbing and photographing of personnel in ICE custody,” the official said.
Trump on Friday claimed victory in the troop deployment to Washington, D.C. and hinted on where else he might deploy the National Guard.
“When we’re ready we’ll go in and we’ll straighten out Chicago, just like we did D.C.,” Trump told reporters Friday afternoon during a World Cup event.
The president indicated that the plan wasn’t fully in action, as he hadn’t yet reached out to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
“Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor. Grossly incompetent and we’ll straighten that one out probably next, that will be our next one after this and it won’t even be tough,” Trump said.
Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social:
Governor Wes Moore of Maryland has asked, in a rather nasty and provocative tone, that I “walk the streets of Maryland” with him. I assume he is talking about out of control, crime ridden, Baltimore? As President, I would much prefer that he clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a “walk.” Wes Moore’s record on Crime is a very bad one, unless he fudges his figures on crime like many of the other “Blue States” are doing. But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the “troops,” which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime.
After only one week, there is NO CRIME AND NO MURDER IN DC! When it is like that in Baltimore, I will proudly “walk the streets” with the failing, because of Crime, Governor of Maryland. P.S. Baltimore is ranked the 4th WORST CITY IN THE NATION IN CRIME & MURDER. Stop talking and get to work, Wes. I’ll then see you on the streets!!! Also, I gave Wes Moore a lot of money to fix his demolished bridge. I will now have to rethink that decision??? Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT
Meanwhile, defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the troops deployed to D.C. to carry weapons and carry out law enforcement duties, ABC News reported.
