Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Guard Border Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Members seek legal clarity after report of possible mass Guard use for immigration enforcement
Summary
Ranking Member Betty McCollum and others pressed the National Guard Bureau on legal authorities and mission definitions after media reports that DOD might provide up to 20,000 Guard personnel to assist in immigration enforcement on the southern border.
Representative Betty McCollum asked National Guard Bureau and service leaders to clarify the legal authority, scope and duties for any Guard deployment to assist immigration enforcement, citing media reports of a potential request for 20,000 personnel.
General Stephen Nordhaus said the Department of Defense had received an initial request for assistance that was in staffing and that he did not yet have details on how the Department would execute such a request. He told the committee the Guard serves either under state authority (governor/state active duty) or under federal authorities and that the bureau would comply with constitutional and statutory limits and any policy or guidance accompanying orders.
Members pressed for specifics on whether Guardsmen would be used for removals, whether state law‑enforcement officers serving in civilian roles would be assigned law‑enforcement tasks while in uniform, and how any mission would affect training and near‑peer readiness. McCollum said she expected full oversight and due diligence before Guardsmen were assigned unfamiliar law‑enforcement roles.
The committee requested follow‑up briefings outlining the legal authorities, the chain of command, tasking details, training requirements, and the anticipated impacts on Guard training and readiness if a large federal request were executed. No operational orders were issued during the hearing.
