LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Governor Joe Lombardo is moving forward with plans to activate about three dozen Nevada National Guard members to assist ICE.
The mission, still being finalized, would place guard members in temporary administrative roles – like case management, transportation and clerical work – inside Nevada ICE facilities. Officials explained it will not involve law enforcement duties and will be fully federally funded.
The pentagon approved the plan under Title 32 status, which keeps guard members under the governor’s command but allows them to work with ICE. Nevada is one of 20 states included in the federal request. Out of the state’s 4,500 guardsmen, about 35 are expected to volunteer for the mission.
In a post on X, the governor’s press office clarified that those 35 guard members represent less than 1% of Nevada’s total force – a figure that was requested by the federal government and authorized by the governor.
“We’re going to focus so much on the enforcement side and administrative side and tactical side, and it just means more individuals getting arrested,” said State Senator Edgar Flores. “What that means this is less individuals having access to court, less individuals having constitutional protections in place, and that’s ultimately what’s the most frightening thing.”
The move comes in a state where an estimated 200,000 undocumented immigrants, about 6% of the population, live and work. Many in tourism, hospitality and construction.
“What we are seeing right now in real time is international tourism is crashing,” said State Senator Fabian Donate. “So, what we are seeing through this action is that the deployment is going to politicize our national guard and send a message to immigrant families and to Nevadans that they are not safe in their own neighborhoods.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told FOX5 the partnership will improve security, public safety and their ability to fulfill their pledge to the American people, but the ACLU of Nevada called it a “dangerous” decision that will destabilize communities.
“Allowing national guards members to participate in ICE enforcement even if it’s for quote on quote administrative or logistical support in effect means you’re going to clear up more ICE officers to go after people on the ground,” said director ACLU of Nevada Athar Haseebullah.
In December, Lombardo and 25 other republican governors signed a joint statement that said they stand ready to utilize state law enforcement or the national guard to support President Donald Trump’s mission to deport individuals who pose a threat to the U.S.
The Secretary of Defense has authorized the Nevada National Guard’s ICE support mission through mid-November. Vermont’s republican governor is the only one so far to refuse participation.
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